Manchester United move 3 points clear of an unenergetic Manchester City as the season moves into December with the Derby arriving to give us a chance to open a 6 point gap before Christmas.

Although that’s the truth there won’t be many United fans reading the above statement with any confidence at all.

Having watched United on TV, straight after City’s draw against Everton, the contrast is there for all to see.

City are an efficient unit, defensively sound with a back 7 that generally don’t look like conceding, you really have to deliver something special to beat Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart. Joelon Lescott is always likely to give away a chance or two but the fullbacks power on and defend strongly and Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry cover the defence well.

This is a team that’s hard to beat.

Upfront City are a collection of individuals and so really only hurt you when the glue that is David Silva and Samir Nasri find a way to join up one of the individual strikers with another. Carlos Tevez is a continual thorn, their fans dislike Eden Dzeko (a great sub described as Dzeko and Hide for the mystery of his poor starting performances compared to his substitute cameos) and then there’s Super Mario Balotelli a selfish enigma, for a physical specimen who should dominate opponents.

By contrast United remain a team of Jekyll and Hyde. Defensively atrocious but occasionally sublime in attack. This is what we have seen since August and Saturday was the whole season described in 90 minutes.

Anders Lindegaard was awful. Watching him concede 2 goals from headers in his 6 yard box where he acted like his feet were nailed to the line, he then decided to change at halftime and to fly out of his goal and flap at he crosses that poured in for the whole match from corners and the wings.

Rafael who was our best player against West Ham got booked early .Sir Alex Ferguson now removes him and Paul Scholes when they get booked, as he has seen them get sent off enough times to know they can’t be trusted to reign it in. Rafael’s impetuous reaction will undoubtedly result in some bench time. What a stupid child.

Patrice Evra was one of our better players, maybe the best, winning headers and flying into their box while Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans had a nightmare. Evans looked like the dodgy player of 2 years ago, and Rio went AWOL. In front of them Michael Carrick had a poor game.

This defensive unit is far worse than City’s and has now got only one clean sheet in that last 12 games.

In fact neither keeper saved a single shot until 7 goals had been scored. That’s how bad it was.

Up-front we scored 4 goals from 6 shots on goal in the entire game for United. In fact it was 5 as Robin van Persie was denied by a mistake from the linesman. That’s an incredible return!

But once Anderson departed, after scoring a goal that is as rare as hen’s teeth, the attack faltered.

Phil Jones came on and proved he is not a midfield player. He looked unfit and walked around either limping or making half hearted attempts at tackles, allied to easy to bad passes and general lack of drive. What ever happened to the new Duncan Edwards, he isn’t even a patch on Roy Keane!

Ashley Young did better but still exhibited poor control and runs as though he always just about to fall over. Increasingly he shows that he is not good enough for United.

Wayne Rooney scored twice yet starting on the right he showed that slow and fat are not the attributes of a winger. He had one strike on goal from open play and scored and apart from his stamina there was little else to admire.

Darren Fletcher was largely anonymous and RvP show fallibility in missing an open goal after tackling the keeper.

But as I keep writing – we won. The table is the truth, we are top, and this week we can rest players before the big game next Sunday.

Also the woes at Chelsea and Arsenal mean we are in a two horse title race. Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger are more interested in the sack race than the title race, leaving Spurs as the best prospect for third place in my view.

A few weeks ago my advice to Sir Alex was to play two players in front of the back four to stop leaking goals. We tried it and it failed but I think we need to try it again.

David De Gea needs to return and Sir Alex should keep faith with him.

Nemanja Vidic is expected to play against Cluj and we will need him on Sunday against City.

Jones and Carrick should play ahead of the back four with Chris Smalling alongside Vidic and Rio rested alongside Evans who should be dropped.

Ahead of them Anderson did enough for me, we need Antonio Valencia back quickly and Danny Welbeck has the pace to trouble Kompany.

Nicking a winner a City is our best prospect, and not conceding is vital.

Yes I am suggesting we drop Rooney, a player who has neither the devil nor the determination that has characterized his rise. No longer do we refer to him as world class, and Sir Alex makes reference to his body shape in most interviews these days.

He is not the new ‘Scholes’, he is not a leader of the line, he is an erratic defender, not fast enough to be a winger and now so right side dominated that his touch gets him into trouble in midfield. What is Rooney’s best position?

Last year we went to City in fear after the mauling at Old Trafford and we allowed Kompany to punish our lack of ambition in a game they dominated territorially. This year we need to go there with the same fear but playing a City team that isn’t in form. The same approach could well produce a different result.

Football is a funny old game but a boring 1-0 win at the Etihad would be fine by me.

By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve