EVEN CARRICK WAS GOING PAST YAYAWhy hand Yaya Toure the captain's armband at the start of the second-half? You're 2-1 down at Old Trafford. You're on the back foot. You've lost Vincent Kompany. Who does Manuel Pellegrini turn to? Yaya? He's hardly Tony Adams or Roy Keane. Pablo Zabaleta, even Sergio Aguero, would've been a better call. Yaya may've been the most senior candidate, but Pellegrini needed someone to shake up his troops. There was just no way Yaya, in his present form (or is that mood?) was going to produce a moment of inspiration. Want to know how ineffective Toure was yesterday? One moment midway through the second-half summed it up. On the edge of the United penalty area, with boots flying in, Michael Carrick took possession of the ball. With a dip of a shoulder he BEAT Yaya and moved clear of defence. The Geordie hasn't managed to do that for over five years. But Yaya made him look like Lionel Messi. It was ridiculous.

YAYA A LIABILITY FOR PELLEGRINIInside that first 15 minutes, Manuel Pellegrini looked a genius. Sticking James Milner up front to shadow Michael Carrick and rattle United's back four was working. It was the England midfielder who played in David Silva to lay on Sergio Aguero's opener. Ironically, it was that high pressing and Phil Jones' nerves which led to United's equaliser, with David de Gea's big hoof down field eventually leading to Ashley Young's scrambled goal. But City weren't out of it after halftime. It was over 20 minutes before Juan Mata struck their third. Why did Pellegrini leave Edin Dzeko on the bench and go with Samir Nasri when taking off Milner? The answer is probably Yaya Toure. It's an obvious change. Throw Dzeko up alongside Aguero and let's see how Chris Smalling and Jones cope. But with the lax, lumbering Toure in midfield, Pellegrini couldn't afford to go man-for-man with United's nimble engineroom. The big man has become a liability.

UNITED DIDN'T NEED ROONEYSo many positives for Manchester United from the day. And one of the most satisfying for Louis van Gaal will have been the manner of their fight-back - and the players who led it. United were on the rack for that opening ten minutes. Before Sergio Aguero's goal, Jesus Navas was denied in a clear on-one-one opportunity by David de Gea. But by the break it had all turned around - and without the influence of Wayne Rooney. The United captain barely touched the ball in that opening 45. The fight-back came from an inspired Ashley Young and - again - Marouane Fellaini. It's only coincidence they were both United's goalscorers in that first-half. Young is undoubtedly playing the best football of his career. He's actually beating fullbacks on the outside and attacking the goal line. As for Fellaini, it's just a pleasure to watch the big Belgian. Is there a better exponent of aerial and chest control in the world? And he's not some battering ram. He does it all with great ingenuity. It's amazing to think where both players were at this stage last year.

HERRERA MEETING ROBBO EXPECTATIONSWith City 1-0 up and flying, Fernandinho made a screaming tackle on Ander Herrera. It was a beauty. But the little man wasn't rattled. Instead, it was he who laid on Ashley Young's equaliser with a fizzing low cross just a couple of minutes later. Fernandinho and Yaya Toure should've bossed him out of it yesterday. But the Spaniard emerged as the best of the four central midfielders on show. He keeps the ball moving, has great invention and doesn't mind getting his foot in. Indeed, sources at Carrington say Herrera recognises he needs to improve the defensive side of his game - and is determined to do so. When Bryan Robson speaks, you should listen. And Robbo says Herrera can run the midfield for the next five years - if not longer. And to think, Herrera was hooked at halftime for the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal barely weeks ago.

DON'T BLAME MANGALAWhat chance has Eliaquim Mangala to bed down at City with the makeup of their current midfield? Kurt Zouma has looked comfortable when called up at Chelsea. But the Blues back four has Nemanja Matic screening things in front of them. United came in wave upon wave yesterday, with Toure and Fernandinho forever being caught out of position. Mangala will be hammered again today, but he was dreadfully exposed by a powderpuff midfield in front of him.

FIVE ENGLISHMAN IN UNITED XIOn 63 minutes, Manuel Pellegrini chose to swap James Milner with Samir Nasri. The decision left City with an all foreign XI. United, in contrast, had five Englishman on the pitch. When it came to the clinches, City collapsed and as the game was taken away from them they were happy to go through the motions. City fans left Old Trafford asking where the passion, the pride was from their players. For the first time in almost three years, City's millionaires found themselves in a genuine derby battle - and they weren't up to it.

LVG - SOD ROTATIONS!Louis van Gaal is not one to tinker. He doesn't change a winning line-up and United are profiting from that approach. The combinations are visibly improving all over the pitch. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling look stronger the more they play together. The busy Ander Herrera complements Michael Carrick. Marouane Fellaini has grown the more he's played just behind Wayne Rooney. Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao, worth over £120 million between them, can't get a look in. Marcos Rojo was given a late run by Van Gaal yesterday. But you can't see him breaking up the Jones/Smalling pairing. Indeed, being by backed by the gaffer, despite the Argentine now available, could be that last little push both England players need to really establish themselves as top level performers.