Last Updated: 28th April 2012
FOR Alex Ferguson, victory over Manchester City on Monday will be the most special derby triumph in all of his 26 years at Manchester United.
Gibson's foot fault
JONNY EVANS has spent the week sweating on his fitness for the Manchester derby on Monday — thanks to his best pal.
The Manchester United centre-back suffered a bruised foot when Darron Gibson trod on him during the 4-4 draw against Everton last weekend.
The clash was accidental and the pair have stayed in close contact since Gibson quit Old Trafford to join the Toffees earlier this year.
United are confident Evans, 24, will recover in time to line up against City and take his place alongside Rio Ferdinand.
Boss Alex Ferguson described Evans as the top flight’s best defender recently — although he had an afternoon to forget against Everton.
For the red and blue fans, victory will define “the most important day of their lives.”
In an emotional preview to the Etihad title cruncher, United boss Fergie lifted the lid on exactly how victory for either side will affect the entire city.
He said: “It means everything to the supporters. Going in to work next Tuesday morning will be the most important day of their lives — for both sets of supporters.
“It’s there. People have inherited this from grandfathers and great-grandfathers. And grandmothers. You cannot change a family’s traits. That’s what supporters are.
“There was one banner recently at Rangers that said ‘I’ve been supporting Rangers for 139 years.’ I thought ‘He’s done well!’ Did you see that? That sums it up.
“It’s in the blood of these supporters and I know lots of supporters who would give everything to win this game on Monday.”
Premier League leaders United go into the match with a three-point advantage over their “noisy neighbours.”
And United were in exactly the same position as this last season with three games left when they faced Chelsea with a three-point lead.
They would win to go six clear and a draw at Blackburn in the next game clinched the title.
Yet there was nothing like the expectation as in the build-up to this game.
Ferguson added: “Last year we were in the same situation with Chelsea. Had we lost they would have caught us up with better goal difference but we won and went six points clear.
“It’s a similar situation — but this is the derby game of all derby games.
“They are our nearest rivals and it makes everybody step up a notch in terms of anticipation.
“It’s down to what our fans will think and I think they would look upon it as a special one because it’s against their most bitter rivals.
“I don’t think you can get away from that. If you ask any of the fans, then I know what they would say. For me, it’s another league game.”
You sense it is a lot more than that to Ferguson.
City are the new challenge to his dominance but the fact it comes from the same city has that extra emphasis.
Ferguson quickly realised after the Abu Dhabi takeover of City this would be a challenge that would go beyond two derbies a year.
He said: “I made my mind up about that as soon as the money started coming in to the City.
“You say to yourself that there is no question they are going to buy the best and most experienced players they can and that’s what they have gone and done.
“They have a bunch of very experienced players who have done it with other clubs and therefore we have to get used to this.
“I said that to our fans in a match programme column recently. We are going to be playing each other in a lot of big games. League games, cup finals, deciders and whatever.”
As City spent big again last summer Ferguson knew he would have to start changing things too if they were going to keep up and he splashed out £53million himself on three players.
He added: “I think we did what we had to do last summer. We brought in a goalkeeper to replace Edwin van der Sar.
“We brought in Ashley Young, who can play several positions. He has experience in terms of his time at Villa. And we brought in a potentially tremendous young player in Phil Jones.
“We added that to the decent squad we had — in terms of youth and experience — and so at the start of the season I was confident we had the nucleus of a very good team.
“Then we got hit with injuries, plagued almost, for four months and now it’s given me that headache of picking players and not knowing who to leave out.
“There’s a good nucleus here, a lot of youth that will get better.”
One of those youngsters is Danny Welbeck who, after a loan spell at Sunderland last season, returned to Old Trafford and broke into the first team.
The striker, 21, has 12 goals and his partnership with 33-goal Wayne Rooney is being compared to Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole from the Treble season of 1998-99.
It certainly hit a peak last weekend in the 4-4 draw with Everton as they scored three between them.
Ferguson said: “With Danny being fit again and playing consistently, he’s developed.
“I think last week we saw something special. I know there was a lot of reference to the Yorke and Cole thing and I think there are similarities to that.
“I thought Welbeck’s movement was fantastic last week. He did really well. Attacking-wise we were terrific in the second half.
“Wayne is 26 now and Danny is 21. I would think over the next few years it can only get better. I hope so.”
Ferguson insists the threat from the strike duo — and indeed all his players — needs to be on show at the Etihad.
The United boss said: “We will have to be a threat on Monday. We expect our players to come up to the mark and make sure we are offering threats to City. There’s absolutely no doubt it.
“You have got an interesting combination of two teams. The one with the best home record and the one with the best away record. It’s a shootout isn’t it?”
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