Fergie starts the mind games with City

No one doubts Sir Alex Ferguson's expertise in the art of mind games. The Scot has traded barbs with so many of his counterparts over the years that it's highly unlikely his peers will throw him a farewell bash when he finally retires. Just about anyone who's posed a threat to United's domination in Premier League has been a victim of Fergie's infamous mind game. And from Kevin Keegan to Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex has always, one way or another, emerged the victor in psychological warfare.

This leads us to his latest battle against his new foe, Man City, by labeling the club's transfer policy as "kamikaze." From a neutral's stand point, it would appear that Ferguson's remarks over another team's spending policy is laced with envy. Everyone is now quite familiar with Man Utd's financial woes and their lack of presence in the transfer market this season only confirms just how limited the funds are at Old Trafford. 

Furthermore, Man City isn't by a long shot the first club to be splashing it's cash in the transfer market. Chelsea held that status a few years back while Real Madrid's transfer budget two seasons ago would make City's spending this summer look like child's play. 

But Roberto Mancini, like his predecessor, seems to have fallen straight into Fergie's trap and has had to come out and defend his summer spending spree. The fact that Fergie's remarks come right after City's dour draw against Spurs may indicate his real aim: to remind City's billionaire owners just how reckless their manager has been with their cash. 

In fact, Fergie did the same thing a year ago to Mark Hughes when he labelled the City a "small club" and commented on the wisdom of signing too many strikers (for those who don't remember, City signed Tevez, Adebayor and Santa Cruz last season). We'll never the true impact of his comments but it certainly heaped more pressure on Hughes who was trying to put City alongside United in stature in Manchester. As expected Hughes couldn't justify his transfer policy and was later sacked. 

It would seem as though Mancini is now a target and all Fergie needs to do is keep reminding the Italian's bosses on how badly he's spent their money. It doesn't take a genius to realise the sort of pressure Mancini is already going through without entering a war of words with the Old Trafford boss. But the effects of those mind games of Fergie' is not just targeted at Mancini but at his signings themselves who are already under tremendous pressure to deliver. 

In the big picture, it does seem a little odd that Ferguson would choose to pick on City who, as far as most pundits are concerned, will not be a threat to United or Chelsea this season. But then again, for Sir Alex, this is about who is the biggest club in Manchester.