FOR 20 years, Mancunian football fans have known nothing other than Manchester City being trampled on by their neighbours from Old Trafford - and that is how Wes Brown intends it to stay.

Depending on the respective team selections of Sir Alex Ferguson and Mark Hughes, Brown could be one of the few local lads to be involved when United tackle big-spending City in the most eagerly-anticipated local derby for years.

It is two decades since the Blues beat the Reds 5-1 at Maine Road - Hughes was on the scoresheet for United. Since then it has been glory, glory all the way for the Red Devils.

And, while City have spent more than £200million in just over 12 months aiming to change that, Longsight-born Brown is eager for the status quo to remain.

"I remember as a kid City won a few of the games. But in terms of championships and trophies, we have always dominated," said the 29-year-old.

"They will be confident at the moment with all the games they have won and I am sure they will come at us.

"They probably think they can win. But we are still Manchester United and we are going to prove we are the champions."

Brought up in an area of the city tinged with more blue than red, it is understandable many of Brown's friends have remained City fans.

The banter has been swapping sides for a while now, enough for the England star to admit he will be switching for the off button on his mobile if the worst does come to pass tomorrow.

"A few of my mates are chirping up a bit," he admitted.

"All this stuff about the gauntlet being handed over is coming from their side.

"They respect the fact we are a good team, with good players. They know it is going to be a tight game. But if we lose I am switching my phone off, that's for sure."

Brown's chances of being involved from the start depend on Rio Ferdinand's fitness and who Ferguson wants to fill the right-back berth.

Gary Neville did the job in Istanbul on Tuesday, although recent history suggests the 34-year-old will not be asked to play two matches in a week.

That might give Brown the chance to go into direct competition with former team-mate Carlos Tevez, whose move to Eastlands has caused so much acrimony between supporters of the two clubs, if not inside the respective dressing rooms.

"It is not a problem if Carlos is fit," said Brown.

"Yes, he left us and joined them but these things happen in football. You just get on with it.

"You cannot become obsessed by one player. The lads will just treat it like any other game and him like any other member of the opposition."

Ferguson has stated his belief that Liverpool will always remain United's major local rival, foes bound by a common history and success.

But as a local lad himself, Brown is not so sure.

He can see a momentum starting to build at Eastlands, and with that, a new dimension to a duel that has tended to matter more to City fans, who have based their season around it, than United, who have been more interested in collecting silverware.

"It will start rivalling matches against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea," he said.

"City just have so much money now. With the players they can buy you cannot just shove this match to one side anymore.

"They are getting the big players and with that they are getting the results. We understand that.

"But we have to do what we always have when people have done this. We have to keep our cool, play how we know to play and trust our own ability to bring us the results." Tweet