Mancini mocks Ferguson after City go top
Blues manager dismisses counterpart as his side regain control of the title race
MANCHESTER CITY 1 vs MANCHESTER UNITED 0
MANCHESTER City manager Roberto Mancini laughed off Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson’s complaints about his conduct towards the match officials, after they returned to the top of the Premier League for the first time since March with a crucial win.
Vincent Kompany’s headed goal was enough to secure a league double over the away side as a flat United performance gave the home side the initiative in the title race.
City’s vastly superior goal difference means that maximum points from their remaining two games should be enough to secure a first title since 1968 and Mancini, who clashed with Ferguson when around 15 minutes remained, sarcastically dismissed his rival’s complaints.
“Him? No,” said Mancini. “He doesn’t talk with the referee or the fourth official? No, never. I said nothing to him, only spoke to the official.”
Ferguson accepted it was “a damaging defeat” while criticising Mancini’s conduct. He said: “He was badgering the referee, the fourth official and the linesman. At that moment the tension was high, but for me it’s forgotten.”
The juxtaposition of City’s line-up with that of United’s was telling. Mancini used attractive, attacking talents in David Silva, Samir Nasri, Sergio Aguero and former United striker Carlos Tevez; Ferguson flooded his midfield with Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick, and recalled Park Ji-sung, to retain possession of both the ball and the title.
Yet despite their tactics, United were soon under pressure. City grew confident as the game progressed, winning a corner on the stroke of half-time. Reading Silva’s inswinging cross, captain Kompany lost marker Chris Smalling on the edge of the area and leaped to powerfully head past United’s David de Gea and into the back of the net.
It seemed fitting that Kompany should score for City in a game of such magnitude. For all of the money spent on supposedly more-glamorous players, Kompany, along with goalkeeper Joe Hart, remains the side’s true key performer.
Less than 15 minutes of the second-half had passed when Ferguson replaced Park with Danny Welbeck to play with two strikers, but City remained the stronger side and more likely to score. Kompany, in particular, was at his very best and defended resolutely to negate any threat.
Ferguson’s urgency again became clear when he and Mancini squared up on the touchline in a signal of the Scot’s growing desperation as Mancini prised his grip from another title.
But in the closing stages, as De Gea saved superbly from Gael Clichy while United lacked composure and promise; the game ended as the season began. City were clearly on top.