Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson has branded yesterday’s 6-1 humiliation to neighbours Manchester City as ‘our worst ever day’. After going 1-0 up through Mario Balotelli in the first half, City took full advantage of Jonny Evans’ 47th-minute red card, breaching a woeful United defence five more times with Balotelli scoring a second, Edin Dzeko adding two of his own and Sergio Aguero and David Silva also on target.
Although Ferguson blamed no one for the defeat in his post-match assessment of the result that puts City five points clear of their staunch rivals at the top of the Premier League table, he regretted the defeat. “It was our worst ever day. It’s the worst result in my history, ever. Even as a player I don’t think I ever lost 6-1. That’s challenge for me too.”
The manager admitted he was bewildered when his side kept attacking despite slipping further and further behind. “I can’t believe the scoreline. The first goal was a blow for sure but it was retrievable at 1-0,” he added. “The sending off was a killer for us. We kept attacking when we went 4-1 down and we should have just said: ‘We’ve had our day.’”I thought with the experience we had with Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra we would have realised that. But we just kept attacking. We were so open. Sometimes there has to be common sense about it.”
Ferguson admitted that his players will be desperate to atone for the display. “That’s a perfect result for us to react to. There was a lot of embarrassment in the dressing room. They were all disappointed in there.”
Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, however, is focusing on the three points rather than the emphatic scoreline after his side’s emphatic victory. The club’s fans will no doubt delight in holding bragging rights over United after such a decisive scoreline but Mancini insists the size of the victory was not the important factor. “It’s not important 6-1. It’s important that we beat a fantastic team. That is important,” the Italian manager told Sky Sports News. “It is important for our confidence because I don’t think it’s easy to come here. “When you play at Old Trafford it is an honour, because United is a strong team and you can have some problems.”
But the manager hailed the home side for continuing to attack even when reduced to 10 men, with their efforts paying off when Darren Fletcher? notched a consolation strike late on.
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