The coming Manchester Derby on Saturday is quickly shaping up to be an absolute classic.
Indeed, the rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United appears to be at boiling point, with their respective dugouts now lead by Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.
The two gaffers know each other only too well; they worked together at Barcelona before facing each other as managers on either side of La Liga’s greatest derby – the El Clasico – for two successive seasons.
And the beauty of their rivalry is a simple one; Guardiola adores scintillating football, Mourinho is about as pragmatic as it gets. They juxtapose each other perfectly.
With that in mind, Football FanCast have begun thinking about an alternative history – one with the Portuguese in charge of City and the Spaniard in charge of United.
How would that affect Saturday’s game? Well, FFC have taken a look at the City XI Mourinho would most likely pick to face the Red Devils.
Would Mourinho’s XI come out on top in the Premier League this weekend? Let us know by commenting below!
GOALKEEPER – JOE HART
Pep Guardiola may be obsessed with goalkeepers who play like sweeping centre-halves but an eternal endorser of functionality, Jose Mourinho wants his man between the sticks to simply keep the ball out of the net. Despite some very costly errors for England at Euro 2016 and his subsequent loan move to Torino, Joe Hart is still one of the best in the business in that regard.
RIGHT-BACK – John Stones
Jose Mourinho famously tried to sign John Stones during his stint as Chelsea manager. But still a little wet behind the ears and always determined to play out of the back, we’re unconvinced the United gaffer would give the 22-year-old the nod at centre-half. Instead, Mourinho might decide to deploy Stones at right-back, adding extra height to City’s defence.
CENTRE-BACK – VINCENT KOMPANY
Working on the proviso that he’s actually fit, Vincent Kompany would be the first name on the team-sheet under Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese likes physical centre-backs and the 30-year-old certainly falls into that remit. But perhaps more importantly, he’s a real leader of the dressing room in a similar manner to Chelsea legend John Terry.
CENTRE-BACK – ELIAQUIM MANGALA
Safe to say, Eliaquim Mangala’s Manchester City career hasn’t hit the heights expected since signing from FC Porto in summer 2014, now finding himself loaned out to Valencia. But one man’s trash is another’s gold and as we’ve already alluded to, there’s nothing Jose Mourinho likes more than a physically imposing centre-half. Few doubt the 25-year-old’s potential, despite his struggles in the Premier League, and Mourinho could be the right manager to convert it into proven ability.
LEFT-BACK – GAEL CLICHY
We can’t imagine Jose Mourinho would be over the moon with either of City’s left-back options, but he’d surely prefer the more balanced styles of Gael Clichy (not to mention his roaring pace) over Aleksandar Kolarov, who operates almost like a secondary winger – especially for a fixture as important as the Manchester Derby.
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD – FERNANDO
An out-and-out defensive midfielder famed for the imposing reach of his 6 foot frame, Fernando is right up Jose Mourinho’s street. Indeed, the Brazilian may not be the prettiest on the eye but he performs his primary duty well, breaking up attacks just in front of the back four before moving the ball onto a more creative team-mate.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – FERNANDINHO
Fernandinho’s a hardworking midfielder with fantastic energy both on and off the ball. Most managers in world football wouldn’t mind having the Brazilian at their disposal and we’re sure Jose Mourinho is no different – even if he might be a little slight compared to the Special One’s usual selections in the engine room.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – YAYA TOURE
He may be surplus to requirements under Pep Guardiola but Yaya Toure’s strength and power are symptomatic of a Jose Mourinho side. The Portuguese splashed out a club-record sum on Paul Pogba this summer and the Ivory Coast icon is of a similar breed, albeit coming to the end of his career at the age of 33. Furthermore, Mourinho rarely turns down opportunities to spite his old enemy and aligning himself with Toure, who Guardiola now looks set to sell for the second time in his career, would certainly get a reaction out of the City gaffer.
RIGHT MIDFIELD – KEVIN DE BRUYNE
They may not have seen eye-to-eye at Chelsea but Jose Mourinho surely can’t dispute Kevin De Bruyne has established himself as one of the best offensive midfielders in the world since leaving Stamford Bridge in January 2014. The Belgium international’s set piece deliveries are simply lethal and that could be a huge asset to the United boss, whose sides always have the height to make the most of free kicks and corners.
LEFT MIDFIELD – RAHEEM STERLING
Dynamic, quick and tactically versatile, Jose Mourinho would happily capitalise on Raheem Sterling’s ability to wreak havoc on the counter-attack – especially in a game as tight as the Manchester Derby. Likewise, the 21-year-old has started the season in fine form so no matter who the City manager is, they’d struggle to leave him out on Saturday.
STRIKER – SERGIO AGUERO
Big and burly centre-forwards are synonymous with Jose Mourinho – Didier Drogba and Diego Costa being the predominant examples – but he’d undoubtedly be willing to make an exception for Sergio Aguero. The Argentina international has plenty of power in his locker, despite measuring in at just 5 foot 8, and is up there with the best finishers in world football, netting 142 goals in 211 appearances for the Citizens.