THE sports-desk at Quays News have spent the afternoon debating who would be featured in a Manchester City and Manchester United combined eleven ahead of the massive derby game this Sunday.
As we are unable to have football knowledge of years where we were not even alive, we have restricted the line-up to players from the last 25-years, but nevertheless, here are our picks.
Goalkeeper
Peter Schmeichel
Despite Schmeichel being slightly before most of our time, we have been bullied into including the Danish goalkeeper by one of the members of staff.
Schmeichel made 292 appearances for Manchester United, winning five Premier League titles, the FA Cup three times on top of the historic 1992 Champions League victory in Barcelona.
Schmeichel also had a stint at Manchester City in the 2002/03 season where he won…nothing.
Right back
Kyle Walker
Walker is our choice at right back. Gary Neville was in for a shout but we felt we had to at least try and even out our side so the blue side of Manchester can feel included.
City’s current flying full-back is enjoying an impressive first season in Pep Guardiola’s setup and, if he continues the way he is going, he will surely finish his career as one of City’s top players.
Centre backs
Nemanja Vidić
Vidić takes the first centre back spot. A tough choice over defensive partner Rio Ferdinand, the Serbian enjoyed eight years at Old Trafford, between 2006 and 2014, where he played 211 games and won five Premier League titles, one Champions League and one Club World Cup.
Vidić was always an intimidating figure for strikers to come up against and is widely regarded as one of the greatest centre backs in Premier League history.
Vincent Kompany
Probably one of City’s most notable players of all-time, club captain Kompany takes our second centre back spot. Kompany has played a focal point in City’s recent history, leading the side to the Premier League title in the 2011/12 and 2015/16 seasons.
Much like Vidić, Kompany is one of the first names that comes to the brain when thinking of the Premier League’s leading defenders, and a pairing with the Serbian would have strikers chasing scraps.
Left back
Patrice Evra
Surprisingly, both City and United lack outstanding left backs in their recent history, so Evra ran away with this one.
The Frenchman, who is currently without a club after a controversial outburst saw him kick a supporter of his most recent club Marseille, spent eight years in Manchester with Sir Alex Ferguson developing him into the best Premier League left back at the time.
Right midfield
David Beckham
It was almost impossible to look past Beckham as our right midfield choice. The national treasure played 265 games for United, where he started his career, before making a move across to Spain to join Real Madrid during their Galactico era.
Beckham won 13 trophies with United, including six Premier League titles.
Centre midfielders
Paul Scholes
Scholes is the first of our midfield duo. The ginger-haired genius was famed for his cannoning first-time volleys and perhaps underrated for his ability to dictate the game with his pristine passing.
The English midfielder played 499 games for United in two stints at the club, the second coming in the midst of an injury crisis, a year after his retirement.
Kevin de Bruyne
Belgian midfielder de Bruyne takes the second spot in our all ginger centre midfield.
The former Chelsea man joined City for £55 million in August 2015 and has lit up the Premier League since, especially this season where he has been exceptional.
Left midfield
Cristiano Ronaldo
The now five time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo runs away with our left midfield spot, much like he ran away from desperate right backs during his Premier League career.
Ronaldo flourished in the manic environment of the Premier League, mesmerising fans with his flashy step-overs and long range strikes.
The Portuguese winger massively developed while at Manchester United and won nine trophies in the process.
Strikers
Eric Cantona
The French forward, most famed for his turned-up collar, shaved head and kung-fu kicking, takes the first striker spot in our line-up.
Cantona joined Manchester United from Leeds United in 1992 and played 143 times for the Red Devils but while he is most famed for his off-pitch antics, he scored some magical goals during his time in Manchester.
Like Schmeichel, the members of the Quays sportsdesk were not privileged enough to be alive during Cantona’s time in Manchester, but judging from highlights and popular opinion, he deserves a spot in our team.
Sergio Agüero
The final spot in our team goes to City’s all time top goal-scorer Agüero. It was impossible to leave the Argentine forward after all the historic moments he has given the club since he joined from Atlético Madrid in 2011.
While it seems “Kun” is edging towards the end of his City career, his will always be remembered in Manchester, especially after that famous title winning goal in 2012.
As the Quays sports-desk have put together our Manchester combined starting 11, do you agree with our squad selection or would you make changes to the squad?
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