HOWEVER bad things get, they still have an uncanny ability to scare the bejesus out of Manchester City.
Perhaps it is because most adults with a season ticket at the Etihad would have had their childhoods ruined by Sir Alex Ferguson.
United were left ruing what might have beenCredit: EPA
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will seek positives having won on the nightCredit: AFP or licensors
Maybe it is because Pep Guardiola is so immune to selecting an obvious team for a big match.
Or it could simply be the age-old idea that form and class are irrelevant in derbies.
But Manchester United have now won on four of their last six trips across town.
And they forced City into an attack of collective anxiety after Nemanja Matic’s first-half goal reduced the aggregate deficit to one.
City will head to Wembley on March 1 to face Aston Villa in the final of the Carabao Cup – a competition they have got so bored of winning, their manager actually wants to abolish it.
But perversely this was a good day for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his embattled boss Ed Woodward.
The signing of Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes was completed, United won on the night and they got to experience the jitters they so often seem to inflict on England’s champions.
Even after Matic was sent off for a second yellow card 13 minutes from time, United made City sweat.
And so a semi-final which had threatened to be a complete humiliation after the first 45 minutes at Old Trafford, ended in glorious failure.
Failure all the same, of course. But this madly inconsistent United campaign has been so difficult to read.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in X-rated blast at Jesse Lingard before subbing Man Utd star… and fans love it
Pep Guardiola watched his side waste a number of chancesCredit: Reuters
Sergio Aguero netted one of two City goals chalked off for offsideCredit: AFP or licensors
They are clearly nowhere near good enough for a side with England’s highest wage bill.
Yet every time Solskjaer’s reign seems to be heading for total oblivion, they pull off a couple of decent results and talk of a long-term plan doesn’t sound like such total hogwash.
United had previous for overturning a two-goal deficit in an away leg, in last season’s miraculous defeat of Paris St Germain which did so much to consummate their shotgun marriage to Solskjaer.
Yet those honeymoon days are long gone, United are now consumed by bitter recriminations and even arson attacks on Woodward’s home on Tuesday night.
But United’s executive vice-chairman sealed the Fernandes deal, which is likely to end up costing £55million – not including the more fanciful add-ons such as the midfielder winning the Ballon d’Or and Woodward being crowned the most popular man in Stretford 2020.
And then United came over to the eastside of town and had a damned good go of it.
Looking at the way both sides lined up, you would have imagined it was City who were chasing the tie, rather than United.
Guardiola opted for a back three but with five out-and-out attacking players, while Solskjaer went for a back three with two defensive wing-backs.
The emphasis was on United’s counter-attacking prowess, which had won them the league derby here last month.
But without Marcus Rashford there was less of a threat – and before United had staged any sort of attack, City could have scored three times.
David De Gea made two fine saves in quick succession – pushing away a diving header from Sergio Aguero, then using his feet to deny Riyad Mahrez who cut in from the right and drilled one at goal.
After a Joao Cancelo shot was deflected wide, Aguero’s stinging shot forced De Gea to save at his near post.
So there had been no hint of a United goal until they scored it on 35 minutes.
Jesse Lingard nutmegged Rodri and won a free-kick on the left, Fred delivered it, and after a deflection off Bernardo Silva, Matic lashed home first-time in off the far post. Wallop.
What had looked an unassailable three-goal lead after a laughably one-sided first half at Old Trafford had been slashed to just one.
City thought they had levelled within six minutes when a sweeping crossfield move ended with Kevin De Bruyne centring for Sterling to tap home – but the Belgian had been flagged for offside.
Matic stunned the Etihad with his first-half openerCredit: EPA
Ed Woodward was in the directors box after his house was attacked on Tuesday nightCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Dan James was sent on at half-time, swiftly outpaced Cancelo to win a free-kick and this time Fred picked out Harry Maguire who headed narrowly over.
Fred, who’d been having an uncharacteristically excellent game, lost possession, allowing De Bruyne to feed Sterling who rounded De Gea but skied his shot.
The sense of anxiety around the Etihad was all too evident – a long-range rocket from Kyle Walker, calling De Gea into action.
But then came a passage of play which summed up the pattern of the match.
As United tried to pass it around their own penalty area for the umpteenth time, Maguire pinged it straight to David Silva who, inexplicably chose not to shoot and passed back to Ilkay Gundogan, who was crowded out.
After Aguero fired into the side-netting, Matic was dismissed for a tactical foul on Gundogan.
Aguero then had an effort ruled out for a fag-paper offside and City were left to endure some nervous moments before the final whistle.
However many trophies Guardiola wins them, United are always capable of being a major bloody nuisance.
Bruno Fernandes seen at airport leaving Sporting Lisbon after £55m move to Man Utd
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
