It was the 155th Manchester derby. Garry Cook, the CEO of Manchester City, had claimed that it wasn't a question of "if", but "when" City would beat United again, and go on to lift the silverware.
Give it a rest for some more time, Mr. Cook. Here, if you want , I'll help you get out of your fucking dreamland!
You have to say, even God loves irony! When United paid for the construction for City's old stadium at Maine Road, little did they know, that City would one day go on to be the world's richest club, and forget all favours, so coldly!
In our eyes, we were just being good neighbors, by helping them out so that they can have a place to play their football.
The rivalry in those days didn't quite touch the levels of today, with United not a major force, and sometimes threatened by relegation fears, after the heartbreaking Munich air disaster. City enjoyed a few good years, and won a few trophies, if not consistantly.
Roll forward 34 years, and the fortunes have been reversed more than one can imagine.
Its City who have been relegated and come back. United, meanwhile, through the vision and principles of the great Sir Matt Busby, the architecture of Ron Atkinson, and the sheer brilliance of Sir Alex Ferguson, have rised from the ashes, like a Red phoenix, and gone ahead to collect a mindblowing haul of more that 30 major titles.
In 2008, City were bought by an Arab billionnaire, Khaldoon Al Mubarak. They announced their arrival on the world stage with the marquee signing of Brazilian superstar Robinho, for a record fee of $50 million, from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Mr. Cook claimed that 10 billion people saw the transfer happening. Although thats 3.5 billion more than the number of people that actually exist on the Earth! Ah, only if money could buy you brains!
The then manager, Mark Hughes, a former United player, was promised all the time and money in the world he needed, and assured that the real expectations would be set only from the next season, with a 7th place finish to be deemed satisfactory.
City went on to finish 10th that season, while United proudly collected a record 18th league title. Business as usual.
Money can corrupt even the most stable of minds, so who are City?
After coming to terms with the real world, that $150 million couldnt buy them Kaka, nor $250 million get them Messi, and let us all hope that them offering a blank cheque for Ruud van Nistelrooy was just a joke. I hope so!
They came out of their fantasy, and bought some established players. One of the most controversial, being Carlos Tevez, from Manchester United.
The yip-yapping of their big mouth had already begun, with City going to any extents to wind up United and their supporters.
Sir Alex went on to brand them a small club, with a small mentality. He said, "Sometimes, when you get a noisy neighbour, all you can do is turn your own volume up a level."
Amen.
Mark Hughes was sacked, 5 months into the new season, stabbed in the back, after just 2 defeats in the league. City showed their class yet again. Just when you thought they would learn something from Chelsea!
He was replaced by the Italian Roberto Mancini, who became the 16th manager at City, while Sir Alex was at United, for 23 years.
Sir Alex had once said about Italians, "When an Italian says its pasta, I check under the sauce to make it sure. They are the innovators of the smokescreen!"
Jump on to the 155th derby, which was incidently on the 15th anniversary of Cantona's kung-fu kick to the Crystal Palace hooligan.
The club captain Gary Neville, is a player you can totally picture, taking the daily bus from his house in Salford, to the Carrington training complex, and Old Trafford on matchdays, along with thousands of United supporters, just like one of them.
He is a man who refused to shake hands with even a club legend like Peter Schmeichel, when he left the Red side of Manchester.
He is a fan first, then a United player, and to top it all, the Club captain. Every true Manc's dream!
For this very reason, I was surprised when Neville didn't absolutely rip into, when the Times asked him about Tevez. Instead, he gave an absolutely calm answer, and defended the Gaffer, along with showing respect to Tevez, at the same time. Especially when Tevez had bad-mouthed the club and the manager on numerous previous occassions!
Although Tevez, who still cant read English after nearly 5 years in England, behaved like a girl who had been used and abandoned by her boyfriend.
He showed what a twat he is, on and off the field.
City were knocked out of the competiton by a typical last-minute United sucker-punch. We strike when you're not expecting us to, we strike when you think its over. Yes, thats United for you! Write us off at your own peril!
City wouldn't understand it the easy way, so we taught them the hard way.
Money can't buy you history. Money can't buy you class. Money can't buy you character. Money can't buy you the vision, the priciples, the sheer determination and hunger for success, reqiured to biuld a team that can sustain success year after year.
United are in a seemingly endless debt, and City's riches are seemingly bottomless, and yet we showed them who the bosses are.
After all, we have the Capo de tutti Capi, the Boss of all the Bosses, Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm.
Before coming to Old Trafford for the return leg, Mancini had roared that he would tear down the "34 YEARS" banner at the Stretford End. Well guess what Roberto, you don't have enough manhood in you to even touch that banner.
So sleep, noisy neighbors, sleep in our shadow for some more time. Come back when you've won 18! We're not arrogant, we're just better than you.
Manchester remains RED.
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