MEMORIES of Manchester derbies come flooding into the mind of Gordon McQueen. “It was always a huge game, always a huge build up,” says United’s 65-year-old former central defender, reflecting upon a seven-year stint at Old Trafford which forged a bond with the place which is undimmed by time. “We were always the top dogs, it was always United who were going to win it. But there were guys there at City like Asa Hartford and Willie Donachie, then before that Mike Summerbee and Frannie Lee. There were plenty of names around and plenty of fire. These were big games … but nothing as big as this.”

If the deepening of McQueen’s Ayrshire brogue betrays that he has been through the mill in these last few years – it is six years since he was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx, although he is now all clear – nothing can disguise the enthusiasm he feels towards today’s showdown between Manchester United and Manchester City. So many of the bigger matches south of the border turn out to be tepid but this will surely be nothing of the sort.

Not only must United eat into their eight-point arrears on City at the top of the table if they are to retain any realistic designs on their first Barclays Premier League title for five years, they are also protecting a 51-year record of 40 matches unbeaten on home soil. This stretches back to a 2-1 defeat to City in September 2016, their city rivals having only failed to win one of their 15 league matches all season, a 1-1 draw against Everton.

Then you can throw in the combustible personal chemistry as Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola come into contact. Having embarked upon their coaching careers as comrades at the Camp Nou – a schism of sorts first occurred when Guardiola was preferred ahead of Mourinho for the big job at Barcelona in 2008 – late 2017 finds the Portuguese once again using everything in his power to rein in the Spaniard, much as he did first with Inter in the 2010 Champions League semi-finals then when the pair shared a couple of brutal years in the respective hot-seats at Real Madrid and Barcelona. Rightly or wrongly, his image as football’s arch pragmatist appears the very antithesis of Guardiola’s idealism. In their second seasons, both crave the title.

A combination of these ingredients means McQueen, who will be at today’s match as a guest, calls this the biggest Manchester derby in years. And judging by how preoccupied Old Trafford was by it even during the Champions League meeting with CSKA Moscow in midweek, this is no exaggeration.

“Manchester United are my team now, and the whole city is going completely daft about this one,” said McQueen. “I was there on Tuesday night for the CSKA Moscow game, they won 2-1 and it could have been about 10. But not a single person was talking about that game, they were all buzzing about Sunday’s instead. Quite simply I think it is the biggest Manchester derby in years, it will be the biggest TV audience of the season in Britain by a mile. I just don’t want them to be 11 points clear on Sunday. I don’t think they [United] catch City if it goes to 11 points. Eight or nine yes, but not all of it.”

As exhilarating as City are going forward, no-one is better than Mourinho at stifling even the very best teams – witness the way they ambushed champions-elect Chelsea at Old Trafford last season. The match promises to be a clash of styles, where the brawny Romelu Lukaku and United’s squadron of support runners like Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial could cause Nicolas Otamendi and company a problem or two at the other end.

“Manchester City are brilliant going forward, but they definitely aren’t at the back,” McQueen said. “Hopefully Romelu Lukaku should be able to pose a few problems back there, although Paul Pogba not playing hurts United. I wouldn’t back either team, though, I am going for the draw.

“Manchester United have a phenomenal home record, it is about 40 games, a club record, so I don’t expect them to get beaten but I’m not sure I expect them to win either. I think the safest bet and the smart money is for the draw. I know that is sitting on the fence but there it is.

“I’ve not had much dealings with Mourinho since he came in to Manchester United but he has obviously got a phenomenal track record and he knows how not to get beaten. While they have scored a lot of goals this year in the English league there is the top six or eight and then it is the also rans after that. So it’s no wonder against teams like that they have been able to score three or four goals on a regular basis.

“Ander Herrera might have a big role to play. He came off the other night and went straight down the tunnel, just the same as Lukaku and [Antonio] Valencia. I read into that that all three will be playing on Sunday and all will be important to the effort. Jose has been fantastic at stopping teams playing over the years but I think there will be goals, maybe a 1-1 or a 2-2. Ultimately City may be happy with a point. If they are still eight points clear on Sunday night I think they will be delighted.”