Feeling Blue, Very Blue

Sir Alex Ferguson said it was the “worst defeat” of his career and United fans are not used to seeing their side lose at Old Trafford, let alone be humiliated 6-1 by their “noisy neighbours”. Sure one must not get carried away by the score line, just like the 8-2 rout of Arsenal should be seen a one-off. But, City have moved five points clear at the top of table, while United’s unbeaten start – their best in a long time – has come to a crashing morale-sapping end. It is hard to criticize individual players when the team has been so completely outplayed, but Johnny Evans is one player who would never want to watch a replay of this match and will see himself moving down the pecking order of United’s talented by injury-prone backline.

Many doubt whether City had the team spirit to win titles, and these doubts would have been exacerbated when the darling of the blue half of Manchester “refused” to play while trailing against Bayern Munich. And with Mario Balotelli, another firecracker waiting to go off, Roberto Mancini needs all his experience to keep the team together. But, Sunday was Balotelli’s day, he scored two and as importantly was involved in the Evans’ sending off – and no one remembered the sulky Argentinian.

And the fact is Sheikh Mansour's riches mean that City, unlike any of their rivals, even the Russian fuelled blues of London, have the resources at their disposal to relegate a few bad apples and replace them with the very best in the business. Irrespective of whether Tevez plays for City again or not, City have a more talented Argentinian taking his first-team slot, Sergio Aguero. Even with Michel Platini’s “Financial Fair Play” coming into effect soon, City have shown they know to play the regulation games pretty well too with some “clever” or perhaps “questionable” deals.

With Chelsea to falling to defeat in the weekend, Daglish rebuilding Liverpool, and Arsenal having one of their worst seasons in a long time, the battle for the premiership may well be the battle of Manchester. Last year Fergie may have achieved his greatest target of overtaking Liverpool as the most successful club in English football, but this year his biggest challenge is to be the best team in Manchester. It is still early days in the season, and City have big tests coming – possibly more than United who have already played all their major rivals this season.

But on the evidence of what we have seen so far City have the resources and the team that can win their first premiership title and start a cycle of dominance. And so far none of the traditional “big four” have shown that they have the quality to stop the title moving from the red half of Manchester to the blue. Sir Alex and Man United have overcome far bigger odds, but right now United players and fans are feeling Blue, very Blue.

Punter is Panting

On Dec 8, 1995 Ricky Ponting made his Test debut against Sri Lanka, batted beautifully, before a dubious umpiring decision ended his innings four short of a well-deserved century. Fifteen years and 150 Tests later, the man voted as the cricketer of the decade, goes into the Boxing DayTest with the Ashes level at 1 - 1 and his future hanging in the balance. Despite Australia’s win at Perth last week, questions remain about the future of the 36-year-old, who has scored just 83 runs in six innings this Ashes.

Ponting began the series facing the ignominy of becoming the first Australian captain in 120 years to lose three Ashes series, and, the 267-run win at Perth notwithstanding, nothing has changed. Ponting’s finger injury during the Perth Test has handed some of the momentum to the English. Whether he wins his race against fitness or not, Ponting with his current form, fragile finger and the weight of history on his shoulders isn’t giving any English bowler sleepless nights.

Despite calls for Ponting, Australia’s most successful captain, to step down, it wouldn’t be unthinkable that, motivated by a 23-year unbeaten home record, he will produce a match-winning knock - after all this is a man with 12,333 runs and 39 centuries second only to Sachin Tendulkar. Two years ago, pundits were talking of Ponting as the only batsman who can, and some insist will, catch up with Sachin’s batting records. But, the ICC rankings revealed that Ponting had dropped out of the top 20 batsmen for the first time since 2001, while the Little Master hit a landmark 50th century against a high quality South African bowling attack.

Australia have slipped to number five in the world rankings and Ponting has scored just 3 centuries in his last 25 tests. Last time, England toured Down Under, they were whitewashed in the farewell series of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne - two of the pillars on which a decade of Aussie dominance was built on. But, memories of the dominance is fading, and Ricky Ponting is the last remaining great in a team of underperforming senior players and overawed youngsters.

Irrespective of the outcome of the series, Ponting has to make way for either Micheal Clarke or Shane Watson. And the reality is that this Ashes will determine how Ponting will be remembered - legend or loser. A loss followed by an extended spell of mediocrity will tarnish the legacy of one of the finest players ever. So, Ricky, it is time to take your final bow.