Darryl Lee, manager of South Manchester Maccabi 1st, suggested on the eve of another hugely resonant derby match that he is in a win-win situation when his team lines up against Manchester Maccabi 1st, his former club, on Sunday.
Bragging rights will certainly be up for grabs in the Peter Morrison Trophy tie at Fallowfield. Having made the move from Maccabi to South over the summer, Lee, who is Life President at Manchester Maccabi, said: "It's a huge coincidence that it's happening during derby week. It's just as important as the Manchester City versus Manchester United game to both sets of players. The only difference is that we don't have the millions of Manchester Maccabi.
"Manchester is a bigger club playing at a significantly higher level and it's patent nonsense to say that we're favourites. But on any given day in Jewish football, any team can lose.
"I can't really lose but I want the victor to go on to win the competition.
Believed to be the only man to have managed both clubs, Lee has a vast knowledge of his opponents. He sees defender Michael Sacks, Ashley Loofe and striker Adam Lavin as the key men.
South look set to be missing three key men in Maccabiah stars Marc Addis, Danny Schweiger and Michael Filson, as well as Toby Levy and Harvey Kaye who are travelling.
The teams met in the competition last year with South claiming a 3-0 victory. Maccabi of the Tameside League Division Two start as the form team having lost just once all season, but joint-manager Stuart Delmonte believes that that does not make them favourites.
"We're very focused on this game, which I believe will be won and lost in midfield," said Delmonte, who manages the team with Stuart Rosenberg. "There will also be the added spice that three or four of the South team played for Maccabi last season."
Delmonte pinpoints South striker Marc Jaffe as a danger man, and said: "I hope it's a good, clean, physical match and may the best footballing team win."
In the MJSL, Adam Stevens (3) and Daniel Rubenstein helped leaders Manchester 3rd beat Hyde Park Rovers 4-2.
