The next Manchester United manager has a new Man City target to aim for

Recent history tells us Manchester United will travel to the Etihad tomorrow with a decent chance of picking up a result and ensuring bragging rights - for a few days at least.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, this has been a closely fought rivalry, with City winning 10 of the 21 games since then and United claiming the spoils on eight occasions.

But that head-to-head tells a story of fiercely fought games over 90 minutes - and even then there have been games where United have been embarrassed - not a full season. This is the ninth campaign since Ferguson's retirement and it will be the ninth time United have finished below their neighbours and over those nine campaigns they have collected 137 points fewer - and counting.

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So while the away end will be raucous if United win on Sunday, it will make little difference to the final standings for these clubs. City will end up on top at the end of a 38 game season once again.

That is the challenge facing the next United manager. On their day this squad has proved they are capable of taking on Pep Guardiola's City, but while the Blues maintain consistency throughout the season, United are lurching from one crisis to the next.

United have won their last three trips to the Etihad and six games against Guardiola in all. It's a record only Tottenham can match and shows the talent that is in this squad, it would be no great shock if they lurch from a draw at home to Watford to a win away at Manchester City.

United's ambitions extend to far more than bloodying the nose of their neighbour every now and again, however. The nine seasons since Ferguson retired have been nowhere near good enough and while