Taggart Concedes That City Are Title Challengers

It's that time of the season when Sir Alex Ferguson has a reason to talk Manchester City. He's told the rags in-house rag how he perceives the club inside the city walls...and it's money that once again is at the top of his City agenda.

Lest we forget, he knows what he's talking about. In summer 1989, the affable Scotsman splashed out multi-millions at united on new players. Of course beyond that he acted unopposed in the transfer market for well over a decade, repeatedly breaking transfer records.

In this month's pompous edition of Inside United the 68 year old gives his assessment of City's financial might:

'Their good start this season does put an edge on the derby...I don't believe there's any question about that. We know the kind of money they're spending - they've bought another five or six players in the summer - and they'll keep doing that until they win something.

'You know that's going to be the way it is and you have to deal with it as it comes along.'

This is the first concession from Taggart that he is having to come to terms with the fact that he cannot compete where cheque books are concerned.

It's been pitiful (considering his track record) across these past two seasons to hear him desperately trying to cover up 'Our Malcolm's' lack of a transfer kitty by bemoaning 'there's no quality out there.'

He looked crestfallen and haggard when Wayne Rooney and his agent took united to the cleaners last month and you get the impression he's becoming demoralised with the fact that City just will not go away.

Once again, The Blues are back in united's faces even after last season's three injury time defeats and it's left the ageing manager of an ageing squad finally declaring this week, albeit in a classic rambling style:

'They're up there challenging for the title, and you can't wait until tomorrow when there's something there today. I'm sure they're thinking that way themselves.'

City fans can't wait for the day after tomorrow.

THE MANCHESTER DERBY ON VMC:



Head for the VMC Match Day Experience Forum for the build up and beyond to City's crunch clash with the rags.

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