Mancini’s classy boys slay Red Devils

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In the closing stages of a much hyped Manchester derby, the winner of whom would hold the cards heading into the final two games of the season, a tough challenge from our friend Nigel ‘Kung Fu’ de Jong on Danny Welbeck left Sir Alex Ferguson raging and ranting at the fourth referee, Roberto Mancini, de Jong, the Man City kitman and pretty much anyone he could see.

Roberto Mancini flicked his Hollywood locks behind, strode up to old rednose and shockingly and rather surprisingly mocked the venerable old Ferguson, imitating his hand gestures and matching his verbal filth with his own brand of Italian impudence.

It is a rare sight to see Ferguson entirely flummoxed. So rare, in fact, that it’s almost pitiably comical. You feel sorry for the fidgety Scot, but the resemblance to a stunned, blushing polar bear does you in, and a giggle is all that escapes you in the wee hours of the morning.

In a sense, that moment summarised the season that has been. For too long, Sir Alex’s United have had questions asked of them which they’ve sought desperately to answer, sometimes with little or no result.

The derby was a crunch game, a game to decide fortunes, but United were found wanting yet again.

Shaped up in a defensive 4-5-1, with a creaking midfield of Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, and a rusting Park Ji Sung and Nani to supplement them, the Red Devils found the going far too tough against the strength and skill of Yaya Toure and the guile and pace of Samir Nasri and David Silva.

Vincent Kompany outjumped Chris Smalling just before the half-time to score what would be the decider and City could hardly have imagined an easier time of it, with United failing to muster a single shot on target.

Creatively bereft and with a midfield strangled like a wet cloth, their tactical setup further reduced them to an impotent shadow of their once dominant selves.

The two teams now face a straightforward race to the finish. City lead on goal difference, and six points out of six in their last two games against Newcastle and QPR should guarantee their first title in over 40 years.

While United face Swansea and Sunderland, both tricky opponents, both equally capable of springing an unpleasant surprise.

It all boils down to one of the most tightly contested league titles in years, and with the added overdose of drama for positions three and four, the Premier League looks good on its promise of being the best league in the world.