BACK in the days when Manchester City weren't even in the Premier League, never mind the Champions League, they used to be subject to regular mockery from their much more successful Mancunian neighbours. Remember, City were down in the third tier when United won the Treble.
As part of those jibes, apparently some Manchester United supporters used to masquerade as City fans and call up BBC Radio Five's '6-0-6' phone-in show to moan that the Blues deserved to be doing much better. The in-joke phrase used by these japesters was to call City "a massive, massive club".
City weren't that then. They aren't even that now, despite their two recent league titles. Even the most deluded/optimistic of City fans couldn't have foreseen the transformation in the club's, er, fortunes. But the confirmation that Pep Guardiola will become the next Manchester City manager could finally elevate the Etihad club towards that "massive, massive" status.
The history of United scoffing at City is a long one, going back at least to the time of Tommy Doherty in the mid-1970s, when he quipped about Oxo producing a light blue cube - 'the laughing stock'. Few connected with Manchester United are laughing at City now, neither are supporters of other English sides.
Pep's appointment isn't unexpected, of course; in one sense, the only surprise about Pep succeeding the gentlemanly Manuel Pellegrini was the timing of the announcement. However, having been in charge of his beloved Barcelona and now Bayern Munich, there was still a sneaking suspicion that Pep would move on to another mega-club, namely Manchester United. Perhaps that feeling was down to pessimism, or fear, similar to the sense that he might be persuaded by the persistent wooing of Roman Abramovich and decide to take on the Chelsea job.
Then again, even Guardiola's short terms in charge of clubs would be regarded as epic feats of endurance at Stamford Bridge. Pep likes to leave on his own terms and in his own time, not on the whim of real boss of Chelsea .
No doubt, part of the attractiveness of City to Guardiola is that, unlike Chelsea or - at least currently - Manchester United, the Etihad outfit appear to have a coherent vision for the whole club, from the youngest players right up to the first team, and not just for next season but for many years to come.
Pep will be comfortable working with City's director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive officer Ferran Soriano, both of whom performed similar roles when he became Barcelona boss.
Clearly, City are determined to put themselves into that 'massive, massive' bracket that the Red Devils occupy, but to do so they will have to win the Champions League - and do so several times. Chelsea have won one, but they still don't have the global appeal of Manchester United or even Liverpool. The first one is always the most difficult to win, but adding to it isn't easy either.
The decision to appoint Pep will help hugely in that regard though - maybe even this season, not next year. It might also help Manchester United. Monday's announcement may make it more tempting for the Red Devils to turn to the diabolical managerial talents of Jose Mourinho, Pep's arch-enemy when he was in charge of Real Madrid.
It would have been interesting to see if Pep could inspire Man U back to their glory days, but they know for certain now that they will face an even greater force from across their city next season. The massive, massive decision for Manchester United now is whether to stick with Louis van Gaal or twist to a different boss.
Although Guardiola is a brilliant manager, one who revitalised Barca and has made Bayern even more dominant domestically - and taken them to two Champions League semi-finals - City themselves have still taken a gamble of sorts. Yet it's only one that affects the remaining half of this season. Guardiola guarantees success, but what will his imminent arrival mean for the rest of this campaign?
City are very well-placed in the league, are in League Cup final, remain in the FA Cup - albeit drawn away to Chelsea - and, for once, have got a bit of luck in the Champions League by being paired against Dynamo Kyiv in this year's last 16.
The knowledge that Pellegrini will no longer be in charge after May could lead to a costly loss of authority, but it's more likely that City's talented panel will start producing the goods, knowing Pep will be watching, monitoring, assessing. Knowing too that the money men at City will have plenty more to spend in the summer, and that most players in the world would love to play under Pep.
City are already the most attacking side in the English Premier League, boasting the talents of the sublime Sergio Aguero, along with David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, Wilfried Bony, Jesus Navas, Samir Nasri, Kelechi Iheanacho and Raheem Sterling. And Yaya Toure scores a few crackers too.
Their problems are at the back where, when Vincent Kompany is out injured, as he increasingly has been, they lack another top class central defender. Guardiola's intense training and tactical thinking will surely improve that aspect of City, or else he'll bring in better players at the back. The current City defenders are fully aware that they must buck up their act or be bucked out.
The insightful book Pep Confidential, about his first season with Bayern, reveals that a whiteboard in Guardiola's office bore the following phrase: "Ego is the source of the majority of a team's problems." Pep will make Manchester City's players subsume themselves to the collective, to the greater good.
Basically, City's players can think of the summer of 2008, when Pep took over at the Camp Nou, and go either the way of Ronaldinho or Samuel Eto'o. Guardiola wanted to get rid of both players and the playboy Brazilian was sold to Milan. But Cameroon striker Eto'o knuckled down in training and won over his new boss. At the end of that season, Eto'o also won the Champions League with Barca, scoring the opening goal in the final - against Manchester United, funnily enough.
Those who doubt Guardiola's managerial genius point out that he has only taken charge of huge clubs who are almost guaranteed success domestically and in Europe. The level of hurt that must cause Manchester United fans? Massive, massive.
