The highly-anticipated Manchester derby is upon us as United and City face off at Old Trafford in the early kick off on Saturday afternoon.
There is no doubt that a strong police presence is required to avoid any unsavoury scenes at a game of such magnitude coupled with the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.
However, the Daily Mail have suggested that a 400-strong police contingent will be briefed on the ‘feisty history’ between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
While a police escort for the Spaniard to the dug out might not be needed, it’s questionable as to why that is an issue for the police, and whether it will really translate to the stands.
There’s an obvious rivalry and history between the pair, but to suggest that will play into the police’s thinking this weekend seems a bit strange.
If United and/or City ‘fans’ feel like causing trouble Saturday lunch-time, it will probably be down to the ill-feeling they have towards one another and the club they represent.
It seems a bit of a stretch to suggest that they’ll be doing it ‘in honour’ of either Mourinho or Guardiola and letting their feud come into play in their own actions.
Nevertheless, the ultimate hope for all concerned is that the focus remains on matters on the pitch and that the police can prevent any serious incidents from taking place.
Meanwhile, Mourinho and Guardiola will hope to keep it professional on the sidelines and will be fully focused on ensuring that their team comes out on top in the biggest fixture of the Premier League season to date.
United will be under pressure to make sure things run smoothly, as this will be a major operation for the club following on from the drama that took place at Old Trafford in the final game of last season against Bournemouth following a terror threat.
Every member of United’s staff have been re-trained to avoid a similar blunder from occurring state the Daily Mail, with new plans and strategies in place to ensure that the club deal with any situation more efficiently.