By Chris Wright
With the big derby just around the corner, one Manchester United has decided to go all out this Halloween and create loving pumpkin effigies of the two managers set to be duking it out at the Etihad this Sunday afternoon.
Having been challenged by a staff member at his local Asda to concoct a Manc-derby-themed creation using nowt but two of their enormous 15kg pumpkins, Simon McMinnis spent a total of 25 hours hacking approximations of the faces of Louis van Gaal and Manuel Pellegrini into the pumpkins.
McMinnis told the Manchester Evening News:
“I love this time (of year) and I’ve carved all sorts of weird and wonderful pumpkins in the past.
“I’m just hoping my Van Gaal tribute brings a bit of luck on the pitch for the Reds and help Louis carve his way into the Manchester derby history books.”
Explaining the challenge, Asda staff member Julie Feeney added:
“I’m a blue and he’s a red, so we challenged him to come up with something for derby day as a bit of banter.
“I’m not sure what Louis and Manuel will make of their pumpkin lookalikes but we think they are fantastic.
“I reckon the Pellegrini pumpkin just edges it in terms of best likeness. I’m hoping that’s an omen for the result of the match.”
These by the fruits (gourds, technically) of his labour…
Not that we wish to denigrate Simon’s pumpkin carving chops – he’s obviously a dab hand with a teaspoon – but they look more like Joe Royle (left) and Stan Boardman on the right.
(Images via @MENnewsdesk)