It was a moment we will have probably forgotten in a year from now, but at the time, it felt like one of the worst moments of the decade.
The return of Carlos Tevez to Old Trafford had been built up beyond belief, with some sections of the press claiming he should be greeted warmly, whilst others recognised that he was deserving of the abuse he would receive.
It was the first derby day we might not actually be the favourites for, with The Richest Club In The World (TM) having a perfect start to the season and holding their own against a United side who had just sold The Best Player in the World (TM).
A mistake from the keeper swung the game in their favour and we went in at half time having a battle on our hands. Fortunately, we came out for the second half showing we were clearly the better team. This continued for the whole half, with City’s defence shitting themselves and our lads slaughtering them. We made it 3-2 and just had to run the game out.
But then Rio Ferdinand got on the ball just inside our half and did something unthinkable. He attempted to flick the ball over Craig Bellamy’s head, who had been their best player of the day. What the fuck was he thinking aboit? At 5-0 up I wouldn’t expect one of our players to attempt such a thing, so just weeks after Wayne Rooney was let off a lapse of concentration against Arsenal, you certainly wouldn’t expect the best centre in the country to be guilty of such an error.
Sir Alex Ferguson has today spoken about Rio’s lacking form, which has spread in to his International performances, as well as for club.
“I don’t think he has had any spell like this since he joined the club, that’s for sure,” said Ferguson. “I think all players worry about their form if they’re making mistakes and getting criticism. They have to. They wouldn’t be human if they didn’t. So it’s an unusual experience for him. But he will get through it, I’m sure of that. We all go through little phases where we need to correct our game or take a step up. I’m sure he’ll do that. I’m sure he has taken on board the criticism he has had and, with his ability and experience, he should be coping with that type of thing.”
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