Manchester Derby

Filed in archive Premier League on January 28, 2010

Much was said about how the Carling Cup semi-finals would reignite the once-bitter rivalry between the red and blue sides of Manchester. Many points were made, on the BBC of all places, of how it would be the semi-final of the season, and we were not disappointed.

Not, at least, in terms of controversy. Or should I perhaps say travesty. Penalty decisions and dodgy tackles would be one thing, and the cowardly way in which Ferguson called for Tevez to be banned from the fixture after his taunting celebrations (which, no matter what the reference, were hardly an Adebayor moment) in the first leg certainly helped to create an atmosphere of pantomime at Old Trafford, but when a game is so heavily swayed by violence it is easy to argue that it has not progressed further than the 1980s, when knife-wielding gangs roamed England's streets on match days.



Man Utd only needed to win 1-0 and they were through to another Carling Cup final (I have heard it said by many that the FA Cup no longer matters with a bitter "Chelsea always wins" as the cited reason, but why, then, would the Carling Cup matter?). Not even at that stage, though, and Craig Bellamy, who was everything a footballer in a derby should be up to that point and an ambassador for modern football (despite how whiny he often is), is pelted with at least 2 coins and two bottles. No points need made about how despicable this in itself is, but how did the bottles of beer even come to be in the stadium? We can all be sure that the FA will not bother looking into any of the security faults at Old Trafford for this match, as they are nothing more than agents of Ferguson, and if two bottles to land on the head of a star opposition player is what it takes these days for Utd to score then he won't look into it.

Those watching Match of the Day's highlights on BBC One will, no doubt, have missed how the balance of the game changed immediately after this event. Aside from the obvious (i.e the first play on Utd's part after the bottles strike Bellamy leading to a goal), City's attitude changed, to that as one of a team under siege, not sportingly but violently. The modern game is past this.

The bootlicking BBC have failed the proper football-loving public not only in their skimming over of how the game was changed, but also of how the game was won. I am sure not too many will even have considered that the last derby to be played at Old Trafford went the red's way also, after seven minutes of the four minutes of stoppage time allowed Michael Owen to score the winner. Many will jump down my throat and cite the BBC's thorough explanation of how time was added on for celebrations in that case. Last night, however, when 4 minutes were awarded again, Rooney scored in the 92nd minute of stoppage time and celebrated for around 90 seconds. Less than 3 minutes later and the game was over. So for all those who have proved they need arithmetic over morals to win their arguments - you do the math.