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The worst Manchester derby ever is upon on us. How did we get here?

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2 months ago

September 14, 2025

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The worst Manchester derby ever is upon on us. How did we get here?

Ryan O’HanlonSep 12, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
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How are things going at Manchester United?

Here’s the first sentence of a piece written by ESPN’s Rob Dawson two weeks ago: “Ruben Amorim says he is planning to remain as Manchester United manager, but he has admitted he cannot guarantee he will still be in the job after the international break.”

He’s still in the job — thanks, perhaps, to a 97th-minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes to secure a 3-2 win … over Burnley … at Old Trafford. Yes, so bleak are the vibes that a last-second home victory over the projected worst team in the league is viewed as a potential turning point.

There was Amorim’s tactics board becoming a meme in the Carabao Cup shootout loss to fourth-tier Grimsby Town. There was the opening week loss to an Arsenal side that never got out of first gear and barely even turned on the ignition. There was the 1-1 draw with Fulham thanks to a Rodrigo Muniz own goal. There, still, have been zero Premier League starts for €76.5-million signing Benjamin Sesko.

And yet, if you look at the Premier League table, you’ll notice that Manchester United aren’t even the worst team in their own city. No, they’ve got four points from three matches.

Manchester City? They’ve lost two out of three — something an eventual Premier League winner has done only once in the history of the league.

After missing almost all of last season to a torn ACL, reigning Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is back for Man City — and he’s saying stuff like this: “I’m not Messi. I’m not going to come back and just make the team win and win and win.”

When the two Manchester sides met back in April, they produced one of the worst games of last season: a scoreless draw in which City didn’t attempt a shot over the final 20 minutes and neither team created a single dangerous chance. While this Sunday’s match at the Etihad shouldn’t be as uncompetitive as that one, the schedule is catching the two sides at their lowest collective point since the Abu Dhabi takeover of City back in 2008.

So, ahead of what might be the worst Manchester derby in recent memory, let’s take a look at how we got here and why one side of the city might be closer to turning it around than the other.

– Top 50 most expensive transfers this summer by true cost
– Worst 2025 summer transfers, from Cunha to Isak
– Why Man United’s best player might be their biggest flaw

A brief, recent history of Manchester City and Manchester United

Everything you need to know is somewhere in this chart, which sketches out the points-per-game averages for both Manchester clubs over every 10-month stretch since 2008:

We’ll start with City. The Abu Dhabi takeover happens, and the line shoots straight up all the way through AGUEROOOOOOOO in 2012. Then things stall out under manager Roberto Mancini before bouncing back up under Manuel Pellegrini, and then falling back down until 2016, when Pep Guardiola arrives.

After that? An immediate improvement to levels reached only by one other team in the history of the league. There’s a fall-off during the seasons wrapped around the height of COVID but then a bounce back up to the three straight titles from 2022 through 2024.

Things remained OK for a month or two at the start of last season, and now the alarms in the room are going off. While the 10-month points average has been lower at times since 2008, it’s lower than it’s been at any point since Guardiola’s first season.

Onuoha: Man City can’t afford to lose the Manchester derby

Nedum Onuoha emphasizes the importance of winning the Manchester derby following a disappointing start to the season for Manchester City.

With United, well, the 10-month points average is lower than it’s been at any point since 2008 — and at any point since the Premier League began.

At the start of our data set, we’re at perhaps the peak of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure as manager. United won the Champions League in 2008 and then made it back to the finals in 2009 and 2011, where they lost, both times, to the current manager of Manchester City. United won the Premier League in each of those three seasons, too, but the 2011 title came with just 80 points — tied for the fewest points of any title-winner this century. That opened up room for City to steal the title in 2012 — only for United to sign a past-his-peak Robin van Persie, get one last world-class season from him, and win one more title in Sir Alex’s final season.

After that, it’s a good example of how progress isn’t linear. From 2013 to today, United’s per-game performance has gone from title-winning to below league-average: they’re winning a full point fewer per game, or about 40 points — 40! — over a full season.

But there have been ups and downs on the way down. You had the immediate drop-off under David Moyes, and then pretty much the same story with the next four managers, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Erik ten Hag: brief, immediate improvement, but ultimate decline.

And that brings us to today, to Man United under Ruben Amorim. There’s been no improvement — it’s been downhill from Day One.

Why one Manchester club is closer to turning it around than the other

I’ve compared Manchester United to the Dallas Cowboys before and yes, now, I’m doing it again.

The Cowboys are the most popular sports franchise in the most popular sport in the United States. It’s actually impossible for them to be boring, because if they are boring, we treat it as if it’s some national crisis: Why are the Dallas Cowboys so boring? Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts can go about existing in the same level of mediocrity — not so good, not so bad — and nobody cares.

See what I’m getting at here? The same holds true for United, only in the spotlight of the most popular sport in the world.

Now, it’s a little different here because the massive levels of inequality in soccer make it so Man United’s mediocrity is a much bigger institutional failure than the Cowboys winning half of their games. If Manchester United are not competing for the Premier League and the Champions League in most years, then something has gone terribly wrong. And yes, that means things have been going terribly wrong for over a decade now.

But because of the popularity of both the Cowboys and Manchester United, it means that these teams almost have to exist at extremes, and that means the public sentiment or the conventional wisdom around these teams is almost always wrong. The Cowboys traded arguably their best player, Micah Parsons, on the eve of the 2025 NFL season, the sky was falling, disband the franchise … and then they nearly beat the defending Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, on the road in Week 1.

Is Ruben Amorin still the right man for Manchester United?

Janusz Michallik casts doubt over Ruben Amorim’s tenure at Manchester United thus far after their last minute win vs. newly promoted Burnley.

With Manchester United, we’ve tried to make them into title contenders under Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Erik ten Hag after just a handful of positive results. I know because I literally wrote about it a little over two years ago in a piece titled, “No, Manchester United are not in the Premier League title race.” I got lots of angry comments about it — and then they lost, 7-0, to Liverpool just a few weeks later. They finished eighth the following season.

However, I think the opposite applies here, too. When Manchester United are bad, it’s often not as bad as it seems. Like, potentially, right now.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Manchester United are good or that Ruben Amorim is their savior. But the biggest issue for Man United so far this season hasn’t been anything more than the kind of variance we’d expect to even out over the rest of the season for any other club in the world.

Through three matches, they have attempted 58 shots — 14 more than anyone else in the league — and they’ve generated the most expected goals:

The only problem is they’ve turned all of that into just four actual goals, which puts them tied with the likes of West Ham and Burnley for the eighth-best mark in the league.

While it is kind of funny that Man United signed two players — Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo — who massively outperformed their xG last season only to immediately suffer through a finishing slump, this isn’t going to continue. I’m not going to defend the loss to Grimsby Town, but if United finish their chances in that one, then we probably never talk about it again, either.

Now, United aren’t close to challenging for titles — and their team-building approach isn’t going to help with that, either — but they finished in 15th-place last season. Even with the finishing slump, they’re already six spots better through the first three matches of this season. For a team that only scored 44 goals last season, the attack already looks much better.

At Manchester City, though, the same issues from last season persist.

City allowed 1.2 goals per game last season and 20 touches inside their own penalty area — both significantly higher marks than in any of the previous seven seasons. Every time they turned the ball over, it was a five-alarm fire. They spent a bunch of money this past summer, but none of it seemed concerned with their most glaring weakness: the aging legs and limited range in the middle of the field.

New arrivals Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders are plus players in possession, but negatives without the ball. Rayan Aït-Nouri isn’t a bad defender, but it’s not like left-back defending was their issue last year.

Sure enough, through three matches, City have allowed 1.3 goals per game on 1.3 expected goals allowed per game. And they’ve conceded 22 touches inside their own penalty area. What makes that even more concerning is that their schedule hasn’t been particularly difficult — their opponents finished 8th, 16th, and 17th last season. It seems like they figured that Rodri would solve all of their issues, and Rodri himself is already suggesting that was a bad idea.

While manager Pep Guardiola has solved plenty of tactical problems before, we’re coming up on a year from when Rodri went down last season. That means a year without Guardiola figuring out how to fix this tactical problem.

City could still bounce back and reemerge as title contenders, but betting markets and projection systems now have their title odds in a distant third — much closer to Chelsea in fourth than Liverpool and Arsenal up at the top. Just a few weeks ago, it was supposed to be a three-team race.

As for United? The over-under totals from Sporting Index projected them at 59 points to start the season. Now, that number is up to 60. All of that yelling and screaming, and almost nothing has changed.

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Dick Vitale’s men’s college basketball teams, storylines to watch

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48 minutes ago

October 30, 2025

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Dick Vitale’s men’s college basketball teams, storylines to watch

Dick VitaleOct 27, 2025, 08:26 AM ET
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This season is gonna be Awesome, with a capital A!

College hoops fans, get ready — your favorite time of year is back! I’m talking about buzzer-beaters, Diaper Dandies and Prime Time Players (PTPers) lighting up the court from coast to coast. And guess what? Yours truly is back, too, and I can’t wait to tip off the season calling the Dick Vitale Invitational on Nov. 4: Duke vs. Texas in Charlotte, North Carolina, baby!

That’s right, we’re coming to the Queen City to start the party with some fireworks (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN).

But before we get there, let me give you 12 reasons why I’m fired up for the 2025-26 college basketball season!

1. Florida is GUNNING for history

Can you say back-to-back national champs, baby? Florida’s roster is deeper than the Atlantic Ocean, with Alex Condon returning after pulling out of the NBA draft. He’s a shot blocker, rebounder and low-post beast. Add in Rueben Chinyelu‘s rim protection and Thomas Haugh‘s stretch-four skills, and you’ve got a paint presence that will punish opponents.

But here’s the kicker: Todd Golden added two electric guards in Boogie Fland, a five-star dynamo who can light it up from deep, and Xaivian Lee, a combo guard from Princeton who’s as slick as they come. This team’s got talent, size, experience and a coach who knows how to push the right buttons. The Gators are chasing a rare repeat — and they’ve got the juice to do it!

2. Cameron Boozer takes the torch at DUUUUKE!

It’s the Boozer Brothers era in Durham. Cameron Boozer is the most complete freshman in the country, a double-double machine with NBA polish. And he’s bringing his twin, Cayden, along for the ride. Cameron is considered one of the top contenders to go No. 1 in the 2026 NBA draft, alongside Kansas‘ Darryn Peterson and BYU‘s AJ Dybantsa. Also in Jon Scheyer’s No. 1 recruiting class in America are Dame Sarr, Nikolas Khamenia and Sebastian Wilkins. Duke also brings back Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II, three rising stars ready to take the next leap. The talent’s there, the depth is scary and Cameron Indoor Stadium is gonna be rockin’ every night. Watch out, ACC. Duke’s comin’, baby!

3. Houston has liftoff!

You thought Houston was done after losing LJ Cryer and J’Wan Roberts? Think again. This squad is stacked like flapjacks at a Sunday brunch. The Cougars return Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan, Joseph Tugler and Mercy Miller — all key contributors from last year’s title game run. And then, boom! They added Chris Cenac Jr. and Isiah Harwell, two five-star standouts, both likely first-round NBA draft picks. Kelvin Sampson’s culture of toughness, discipline and defense is a proven formula, and this roster is as complete as any in America.

4. Cal’s new blueprint at Arkansas is a WHOLE NEW HOG

It’s John Calipari like you’ve never seen him. Gone is the all-freshmen formula; now, it’s experience plus elite youth. Year 2 in Fayetteville looks on fire with Karter Knox returning to lead a group that includes D.J. Wagner, Billy Richmond III and Trevon Brazile — that guy’s a pogo stick with a jump shot. Cal also brought in five-star backcourt monsters Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas, plus big men Malique Ewin and Nick Pringle to bang down low. This team is more physical, more mature and more dangerous than last year’s Sweet 16 squad. Don’t be shocked if the Hogs make their first Final Four since they were Rollin’ with Nolan.

5. Braden Smith, assist king in waiting

Purdue‘s Smith is the floor general of the nation. He averaged 15.8 points and 8.7 assists last year, and he’s got his eyes set on Bobby Hurley’s all-time NCAA assist record. The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award winner is smart, steady and runs the offense like a maestro with a baton. He’s flanked by Trey Kaufman-Renn, a 20-point scorer who took over last year for Zach Edey like a boss. With a veteran core, strong supporting cast and national title expectations, Purdue enters the season as a legitimate favorite to cut down the nets in April and finally bring that elusive national title back to the Big Ten. It’s go time in West Lafayette.

6. The Little Apple’s big bite: Kansas State‘s P.J. power!

P.J. Haggerty, the American Player of the Year, dropped 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists a night at Memphis, and now he’s Jerome Tang’s main man in Manhattan, Kansas. He’s got that slashing style, can draw fouls, create for others and score at all three levels. His 3-point shot improved and he’s a very efficient scorer whose speed allows him to score with ease in transition. He plays strong on-ball defense and is not afraid to use his body near the rim and finish tough shots. Kansas State has missed the tournament the past two years, but this guy changes everything. With Akron’s Nate Johnson and Serbian sensation Andrej Kostic joining him in the backcourt, the Wildcats could be dancing in March — and doing some damage once they get there.

7. The Bluegrass Rivalry in the NIL era

Two proud programs, two coaches in their second year with their respective teams, and a whole lotta barking flying around. Kentucky‘s Mark Pope went wild in the portal, pulling in Jaland Lowe (Pitt), Kam Williams (Tulane), Denzel Aberdeen (Florida), Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama) and top-five NBA prospect Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State). The Wildcats are big, fast and defense-first.

Over at Louisville, Pat Kelsey brought in a five-star recruit and potential NBA Lottery pick in Mikel Brown Jr., who made a gold medal run with Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup. He’s a lightning-quick point guard with one of the smoothest jumpers in the game. Add Germany’s Sananda Fru along with three 1,000-point scorers in Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely and J’Vonne Hadley, and this group of Cardinals can light it up. Both teams are Final Four contenders, and if the bracket gods smile, they might meet again in March Madness.

8. The Big East brawl

You want old-school toughness with new-school talent? After winning back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024, Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies are back in title-hunting mode with a reloaded roster featuring elite shooters, top-tier freshmen and a deep bench.

Rick Pitino’s St. John’s is bringing New York City fire to every game. The Red Storm won their first Big East regular-season crown since 1985 last year. This year’s mix of vets and freshmen looks Final Four ready. Together, these programs have created a talent-rich top tier in the Big East, drawing national attention and restoring the league’s reputation as one of the premier basketball conferences in the country. Their success not only boosts the Big East’s visibility, it intensifies competition across college basketball, challenging the other power conferences on the national stage.

9. International infusion: It’s a global game, baby!

Over 70 international players joined high-major rosters this year. Wow! You’ve got Dame Sarr (Italy) at Duke, Luka Bogavac (Montenegro) at North Carolina, Tounde Yessoufou (Benin) at Baylor, Oscar Cluff (Australia) at Purdue, just to name a few. Illinois alone has Croatian twins (Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic), a Serbian point guard (Mihailo Petrovic) and a Montenegrin forward (David Mirkovic). That’s an Olympic roster. These international stars bring skill, maturity and a pro mindset. They’re changing the way teams are built, and the way the game is played. I’m excited to see the influence they’re bringing.

10. The race for No. 1 has Diaper Dandies dominating!

It’s a freshman takeover. Darryn Peterson at Kansas is the top recruit in the land. Even Peterson’s coach, Bill Self, called him the best player he has ever recruited. AJ Dybantsa at BYU? A 6-foot-9 highlight reel! Cameron Boozer at Duke is NBA ready right now. And don’t sleep on Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas), Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville), Kiyan Anthony (Syracuse) or Nate Ament (Tennessee), another Swiss Army knife. The Diaper Dandies list grows even deeper when you throw in Isiah Harwell and Chris Cenac Jr. at Houston, Tounde Yessoufou at Baylor, Koa Peat at Arizona and Caleb Wilson at North Carolina. This draft class could rival 2003’s, baby. We’re talkin’ Carmelo, LeBron, Bosh and Wade vibes!

11. Feast Week frenzy!

We start the college season with some heavyweight matchups, and I, for one, won’t miss a minute. The Champions Classic hits Madison Square Garden on Nov. 18 with Kentucky vs. Michigan State (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Duke vs. Kansas (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). NBA scouts have already circled their calendars. Then the action shifts to Vegas: The Players Era Festival has 18 top men’s programs — including Alabama, Houston, Gonzaga, Kansas, Tennessee, Baylor and St. John’s — battling for bragging rights and big-time NIL exposure. It’s the biggest non-March Madness event ever. It’s a three-day basketball bonanza!

12. #NewRules, smarter hoops!

Let’s talk strategy, baby! This season brings coaches’ challenges, cleaner continuous motion rules and clearer foul guidelines. Officials can now call just one shot clock off if there’s a malfunction — no more double stoppages. The changes are aimed at speeding up the game and giving teams more control in key moments. It’s gonna be smarter, sharper and smoother on the court. I, for one, like the changes.

And now, the main event, baby. Get your popcorn ready. Nov. 4 is the date, and Spectrum Center in Charlotte is the place for the Dick Vitale Invitational featuring Duke vs. Texas. We’ve got super freshmen, electric energy and two blue bloods battling under the bright lights. And I’ll be there on the call to start my season.

Let’s get this party started, baby! I’m talking PTPer after PTPer, big-time performances and March Madness dreams being built every night. College hoops is back, and I just can’t wait!

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Liverpool’s Slot: Last risk I took, Isak got hurt

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2 hours ago

October 30, 2025

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Liverpool’s Slot: Last risk I took, Isak got hurt

Oct 30, 2025, 03:59 AM ET

Arne Slot insisted his Liverpool team selection in the Carabao Cup defeat was about protecting key players, like Alexander Isak, from injury.

Liverpool’s bad run of form extended to a sixth defeat in seven games when Crystal Palace ran out 3-0 winners at Anfield on Wednesday.

Slot rotated his starting XI with 10 changes from their most recent Premier League match against Brentford. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk were notably absent from the squad.

“Everybody can have [an] opinion about it, but with the squad we have — maybe 15, 16 first-team players available — this is the choice I’ve made,” Slot told Sky Sports.

“It’s not of Liverpool’s standards to lose five out of six, or six out of seven.

“Last time we played Southampton here in the League Cup, Giovanni Leoni got injured. We don’t have such a big squad as people might tell. There was so much focus on the amount of money we spent.

“People all of a sudden think we have 25 players available. But we mainly have 20 players then we have four injuries.

“I only have one right full-back, Conor Bradley, as an example. Every time I had to play him twice in three days or three times in seven days [last season] I had to take him off with a hamstring injury or something else.

“Are you willing to take that risk with such a big week coming up?

“Last time I played a player that wasn’t fully prepared — we thought he was prepared but it was the first time — Isak, he got injured.

“Last time we played Southampton Leoni was injured and it was a red card for Hugo Ekitike. Those are the things we can’t use with a big week coming up.

– Slot’s Carabao Cup gamble puts more pressure on Liverpool
– Liverpool face no new pressure amid 6-of-7 skid, Slot says
– Liverpool’s struggles continue in Carabao Cup exit to Palace

“But there’s always a choice. What if I had played Virgil and [Ibrahima Konate], for example, if one of them got injured people would have said ‘what a stupid choice!’

“And also with [the key players] it was very difficult for us, for our starters to beat Palace because it’s not the first time we lose against them.”

Liverpool play Aston Villa on Saturday in the Premier League at Anfield. They also face Real Madrid and Manchester City before the international break.

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