United didn't care about the derby when I joined City - Kompany

Manchester United did not view the derby against City
as an important fixture in the pre-Sheikh Mansour era,
according to Vincent Kompany.

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes the battle for
Mancunian football supremacy is in the balance - seven years
on from United not giving their neighbours a second thought.

The 29-year-old will make his 19th Manchester derby
appearance if selected by manager Manuel Pellegrini for
Sunday's match at Old Trafford and he has seen the dynamic of
the rivalry change considerably since he arrived at Eastlands in
August 2008.

Kompany was one of the last players to sign for City before
Sheikh Mansour's takeover sensationally transformed the club's
fortunes, from those of Premier League also-rans operating in
the considerable shadow of Alex Ferguson's United to
challengers for major honours.

In his early days with City, Kompany felt United saw his club as
unimportant, with feats such as their subsequent Premier
League title triumphs of 2011-12 and 2013-14 scarcely credible.

During the latter season, United limped to a seventh-place finish
following David Moyes' torturous stint as Ferguson's successor,
but Kompany feels they are now displaying some of the fire of
old under Louis van Gaal.

"Going into those derbies about seven years ago and it wasn't
an important game for them," he said in a video interview with
MCFC.co.uk.

"We always hoped we could do something but really they were
too strong for us.

"That's changed over the years - it's even gone the other way
completely at some stages.

"I think it's back in balance now. United have got a good team,
they've got good players and a system that they're getting used
to.

"It's 50/50 really now and it makes those games even bigger.
"I think they care more now than they'd like to show. I really
think that for them, this is almost just as close as Liverpool –
they do not want to lose that game.

"It makes it more interesting. It's always been the most
important game for us but it's just an incredible day to be part
of – something that always means a lot to me every single
year."

Having settled in the city, with a Mancunian wife and family,
Kompany thoroughly appreciates the subtleties surrounding the
fixture.

"The [derby] games in Belgium are big and they mean a lot to
them but you're literally in each other's back garden here – it's
within the families, it's within people that work in the shops. It's
everywhere," he added.

"There are always going to be people that are going to give you
a colour wherever they come from in Manchester. They are
either blue or they are red.

"It's just a game that has an impact on your daily life. If you
lose the game it's a different week for you; you win the game
and it's a happy week."