Why Manchester United fans can expect a return to free-scoring form for Christmas

By David McDonnell

Published 11:36 22/11/11

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The role reversal between Manchester's clubs since the seismic derby encounter at Old Trafford has been nothing short of extraordinary.

City have taken on United's mantle as the great entertainers, plundering goals for fun, 57 in all competitions this season, still brimming with attacking menace and confidence following their 6-1 derby demolition of United.

United, in contrast, have adopted the City template of last season, sacrificing goals for solidity at the back as Ferguson and his coaching staff sought an immediate cure to their side's costly defensive shortcomings.

Five clean sheets in as many games since the derby debacle offers conclusive proof of United's improvement at the back, a vital step following the ease with which their defence was breached earlier this season, culminating in the mauling by City.

It may not be pretty for United fans to watch and it might not be what they are accustomed to witnessing from their team, but such pragmatic displays were a necessary evil as Ferguson and his players addressed the full impact of the chastening defeat to City.

"We've gone back to basics and defended really well since the City game," said Ryan Giggs. "It wasn't just the goals against City, it was also the chances that were being created against us in the other games.

"Our opponents were getting too many chances and our new goalkeeper was having far too many shots to save. Solidity is something we have always prided ourselves on, at the back and throughout the team."

The absence of Tom Cleverley, who missed 10 games after being injured in the 5-0 win at Bolton in September and who has now been ruled out until Christmas after coming off in his first game back against Everton, has robbed United of his youthful dynamism and energy.

Few central midfielders at United offer the same attacking threat as Cleverley and his prolonged absence has had a detrimental effect on Ferguson's side, so much so that Wayne Rooney has been deployed in a deeper-lying role, his goal threat sacrificed as a result.

As long as United carry on winning and do not allow the five-point gap between themselves and league leaders City to widen, there will be little cause for concern for the Red half of Manchester over their team's uninspiring, but ultimately effective, displays.

Indeed, Ferguson himself, after three successive 1-0 wins in the Premier League over Everton, Sunderland and Swansea, said he would be happy to win by that score every week because, in his words, "that's championship-winning form".

City's free-scoring exploits and United's frugality by comparison may have seen Roberto Mancini's side take an unassailable lead in terms of their respective goal differences, but rarely is the titled decided by that.

United now have a relatively easy run of games in the Premier League until the New Year, when they travel to Arsenal on January 22, the fixtures affording Ferguson's players the chance to put together a winning run and gnaw into City's lead.

The noisy neighbours, as Ferguson famously coined them, have far tougher fixtures coming up, with Liverpool this weekend followed by back-to-back Premier League encounters with Chelsea and Arsenal, games that will put their early season heroics to the ultimate test.

As the title race tilts towards the congested Christmas programme, the picture will become a lot clearer by the turn of the year, with City and United already looking like breaking away from the pack, following Chelsea's home defeat to Liverpool, their third in four matches.

United's cautious approach in recent games has kept them in touch with City at the top, but Ferguson's players are likely to have to throw off the shackles at some stage, as Mancini's men have done, if they are to claw their way back into the title race.

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Read David McDonnell's weekly Manchester United column exclusively on MirrorFootball every Tuesday

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