I talk to our players regularly about how small the margin is between victory and defeat.
Henry Winter of the Telegraph writes of how that small margin was on display this past weekend, both between Manchester United and Manchester City, and with Wayne Rooney playing the goat or the hero.
So much of sport is decided by fine margins, from a tight offside call here, to a great touch there. The thin line between acclaim and blame were seen in Rooney’s performance. The United striker had not played well, being largely shackled by Vincent Kompany. The headlines might not have been flattering had he not produced that moment of magic.
Contact. Lift-off. Suddenly, Rooney was being hailed as a combination of Marco van Basten, Denis Law and Dennis Tueart. Suddenly, all that recent criticism of him was forgotten. Suddenly, all United’s post-Molineux blues were blown away. By one touch.
So as United head towards a 19th title, their frustrated neighbours should reflect that only one touch separated the sides at Old Trafford. City are building, slowly but surely under Mancini. Nobody can deny that.
The Italian was phlegmatic afterwards, praising Rooney’s strike as “one of the best goals I have seen in my life”, and also lauding his own players for their contribution. Kompany, Micah Richards, David Silva and Carlos Tévez certainly did not deserve to finish among the vanquished.
“I told the players to go home and have a drink,” Mancini said. “They should be disappointed by the result, not the performance. We are very close to United now, very close.”
Henry Winter of the Telegraph writes of how that small margin was on display this past weekend, both between Manchester United and Manchester City, and with Wayne Rooney playing the goat or the hero.
So much of sport is decided by fine margins, from a tight offside call here, to a great touch there. The thin line between acclaim and blame were seen in Rooney’s performance. The United striker had not played well, being largely shackled by Vincent Kompany. The headlines might not have been flattering had he not produced that moment of magic.
Contact. Lift-off. Suddenly, Rooney was being hailed as a combination of Marco van Basten, Denis Law and Dennis Tueart. Suddenly, all that recent criticism of him was forgotten. Suddenly, all United’s post-Molineux blues were blown away. By one touch.
So as United head towards a 19th title, their frustrated neighbours should reflect that only one touch separated the sides at Old Trafford. City are building, slowly but surely under Mancini. Nobody can deny that.
The Italian was phlegmatic afterwards, praising Rooney’s strike as “one of the best goals I have seen in my life”, and also lauding his own players for their contribution. Kompany, Micah Richards, David Silva and Carlos Tévez certainly did not deserve to finish among the vanquished.
“I told the players to go home and have a drink,” Mancini said. “They should be disappointed by the result, not the performance. We are very close to United now, very close.”
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