Nev’s Manchester derby preview

With United, City, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola set to renew their rivalry in the 172nd Manchester derby, Gary Neville tackles the key talking points ahead of Saturday’s eagerly-anticipated clash at Old Trafford.

The eyes of the world will be on the Theatre of Dreams this Saturday lunchtime as the red and blue halves of Manchester collide live on Sky Sports.

In Mourinho and Guardiola, new managers will grace the touchline, while both clubs’ summer spending spree means new faces will also experience this derby for the first time.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News HQ, former United defender, and Sky Sports pundit, Neville looks back on his experiences of this historic fixture, the impact Mourinho and Guardiola have already had in Manchester already and how the derby will be won and lost…

Q: Is this the biggest Manchester derby of all time?

“I’ve never known there to be so much publicity or noise around a game so early in the season. Of course, the biggest game was in 2012 when they were both going for the title, but in terms of a normal league game early in the season I’ve never known such drama. I hope the game lives up to expectation, I hope both teams see it as an opportunity to damage the other and win rather than thinking ‘let’s get out of this and fight our battles down the road’.”

Q: Did you enjoy playing in this fixture?

“I didn’t find them enjoyable to play in until I’d won – I didn’t find any game enjoyable until I’d won! When you’ve won they are the most enjoyable games, these are games of high risk and high reward and devastation if they go wrong.”

Q: What have Mourinho and Guardiola brought to United and City?

“There is no doubt that the feeling in the two clubs is better. They feel more confident and there is more belief in the clubs. Under Mourinho the fans feel as though they’re watching a Manchester United team again. There’s an element of surprise with [Paul] Pogba and [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, an element of excitement going into the ground again.

“It’s exactly the same with City, they feel as though they’ve got the right manager. At the moment it’s the honeymoon period and the reality is yet to kick in for the manager who is going to lose. But, at present, the signs are good for both teams, they are better than where they were but it’s very early days.”

Q: Are we justified in billing the game as Mourinho v Guardiola?

“The arrival of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola has had a huge impact on Manchester. The excitement and expectation levels seem to be back. The Premier League has been a struggle to watch of the past few years but with these two managers, the investment they’ve been given and the players that have been attracted, it does feel like the Premier League is getting the managers and players it should have in light of the investment that has been made.”

Q: Can you sum up each managers’ approach to football?

“For Guardiola football is all about rhythm, all about the rhythm of the passing. …

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