Manchester United v Manchester City: 5 reasons Mourinho will emerge victorious

Mourinho’s pragmatism will defeat Guardiola’s idealism

Jose Mourinho routinely rails against the philosophers, the Einsteins, and the purists. And they rail back. It is a never-ending war of words between Jose, pragmatist, and the idealists.

The draw of the Manchester derby is so much bigger than local bragging rights. Indeed, it is even bigger than the Premier League. It is battle of worldviews.

Is the best way to manage a team by first creating an ideal in the mind and shaping reality to fit that standard as Guardiola does? Or is it better to adapt to the realities in front of you and craft one’s ideals accordingly. Mourinho adapts.

In that regard, he is the perfect heir to Sir Alex Ferguson’s throne. There is a great deal of historical distortion about the Scotsman’s reign in Manchester. While he could set out his side to be quite attacking, he was a master of doing just enough to get his side over the line.

When people speak of “the Manchester United way,” it is doubtful they mean doing whatever it takes to grind out a 1-0 win. Pragmatism is the Manchester United way.

Jesse Lingard is a perfect example of a Mourinho player in this regard. As the debate rages as to whether or not he is actually any good, he quietly does his job and has made the difference for United several times this season.

Guardiola’s teams, on the other had, adapt to his ideals. This is what makes him such a great coach. He guides players towards their best, as they try to match his lofty standards. But his idealism will work against him on Sunday. Mourinho will negate everything that makes City special.