Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said that the Red Devils are still a bigger club than neighbours Manchester City.
The Old Trafford side, who will renew their rivalry with the Citizens when they meet on Saturday, were once the pride of the city, having captured 13 Premier League titles in 20 years. Now, though, they are heading for a seventh year without being champions of England, having suffered a collapse in fortunes since Sir Alex Ferguson departed in 2013.
City, meanwhile, are two-time defending champions, and have won four of the last eight Premier League titles. Though Pep Guardiola’s men are 11 points behind current leaders Liverpool, they are recognised as one of the finest sides in the game and one of the favourites to win the Champions League.
Still, when Solskjaer was asked if he still regarded United as the bigger club, he replied: “Yeah.”
Solskjaer, whose sit currently lie sixth in the standings, a distant 11 points from their rivals and eight away from the Champions League spots, is still confident that United will ultimately get things right.
“With the size of our club, we’re going to have to bridge that gap, and our aim is to go past the teams above us,” he said.
“I believe that’s what we have to aim for, that’s we have to go for and that’s what we have to believe in, because we do have the resources to do it, we do have the people to do it, so why not?
“As long as we’re going in the right direction and we get there, that day when we do is going to be a very good day.”
The Norwegian also rejected the school of thought that City’s spending power means that they will simply dwarf United in that regard.
“I don’t agree,” he added. “What are you going to do? Are you going to give up? Not challenge them? That’s what we’ve got to get back to.”
City won both derby encounters in the league last year, with their 2-0 success at Old Trafford in April considered to have been a big hurdle cleared en route to winning the title by just a single point over Liverpool.
United, though, hold the upper hand historically, having won 61 encounters to City’s 47, while they have drawn 47 times.
