Carrick Responds to Anderson's 'Kings of Manchester' Comment

Elliot Anderson walked into Manchester this summer and lit the fuse.

His £116 million move from Nottingham Forest to the Etihad did not just swell Manchester City’s midfield. It armed the blue half of the city with a new soundbite. Anderson declared City the “Kings of Manchester” – a line the club’s own website happily plastered in capital letters.

For Manchester United, it was a taunt wrapped in a truth they have been trying to escape for more than a decade.

United have not finished above City in the Premier League since the 2012-13 season, the final year of Sir Alex Ferguson. While United have stumbled through resets and rebuilds, City have stacked trophies: seven league titles and a Champions League in that span. The contrast could hardly be sharper.

And yet, the derby has not turned into a procession. United have still landed punches, winning seven and drawing three of the last 20 league meetings with their neighbours. Not dominance, but not submission either.

Now Anderson is preparing for his first taste of the fixture he grew up watching on television.

“It’s been one of the biggest derbies in the world. And for as long as I’ve known, City have been the Kings of Manchester,” he said recently, doubling down on the phrase that has irritated United fans and energised City’s.

Enzo Maresca, the man who replaced Pep Guardiola in the summer, did not flinch when his marquee signing’s words were thrown back at him. He simply pointed to the record.

“Probably the reason why Elliot said that is because he grew up in the last 15 years,” Maresca said. “I think Manchester City were unbelievable in what they achieved. So it was normal when Elliot said that... For me the reason Elliot said that is because when he grew up Manchester City was dominant.”

From City’s point of view, it is hard to argue. From United’s, it is impossible to accept.

Asked directly about the “Kings of Manchester” label, Michael Carrick’s response was instant and ice-cold.

“I’m definitely not using that phrase, at all, no,” the United manager replied with a wry smile.

He refused the wording, not the reality.

“I understand it,” Carrick admitted. “We are humble enough and realistic enough to know where we have come from in recent history.”

That history includes one of the standout results of Carrick’s permanent reign: a 2-0 victory over Guardiola’s City. It was a reminder that United can still disrupt the champions on a given day. Carrick, though, is clearly tired of living off one-offs.

For him, the Champions League return is not a destination. It is the starting line.

“It is good, in a way, that expectation has shifted,” he said. “All of a sudden, there are different things asked of us to maybe what was asked of us a few months ago. We are in the Champions League - that in itself shows the steps we have made.”

The message is blunt. Being back among Europe’s elite is no longer enough. United want to live there, not visit.

“Now, it is about the next stage,” Carrick continued. “We need to, and want to be better, and we want to be challenging more. That’s where we're at. It doesn't mean that we can't and we won't. It means we still hope, we believe, and we expect that we can be and we should be, but I understand the bigger picture.”

That bigger picture is painted sky blue at the moment.

United go into Sunday’s derby five points behind Maresca’s side in the Premier League table. It is early, but gaps like that can harden into patterns. For Carrick, this is more than a local squabble. It is a chance to show his team belong in the title conversation, not just the top-four debate.

City, fresh from a controlled European performance against Porto, look in ominous rhythm. Carrick watched, and he saw exactly what his side are up against.

“I thought they were very professional against Porto the other night,” he said. “They are a very good team. We know we have to put in a good performance and do a lot of things right to get a result.”

That is the reality. The mood at United, though, is not defeatist.

“I think we have built up confidence over a period of time,” Carrick added. “I feel like we are getting better all the time and that helps us. It is a big game, it is an important game, there is a lot riding on it. We are looking forward to it. We have got a short space of time to recover and prepare for it, but we will make the most of it.”

So the stage is set: Anderson’s words hanging in the air, City’s dominance etched in the recent past, and Carrick’s United trying to turn cautious optimism into something more concrete.

If the “Kings of Manchester” crown really exists, Sunday offers United their best chance yet to snatch it back – or at least to prove it is not nailed permanently to the Etihad throne.