Has Fergie lost the mind games as well as the title????

I cannot see QPR stopping man City next week....all though Ferguson throwing out statements like "No doubt City will be on to the referee to get all the decisions" and "Hughes was unethically dismissed" etc are vain attempts to get at the QPR Management/players and the referee before the kick off no doubt!!

I mean god forbid Wayne Rooney would ever badger a referee or anything like that!!! but hey that's Fergie and we all love him...

Thing is mancini wrote off the title so early it did nothing but heap pressure on the utd players to finish a job that there rivals had already conceded them!!!

Very hard to use mind games on a rival that has already given up to you publicly (though privately I'm sure he had other ideas)....I mean what can you say????

Mancini for all his pros and cons succeeded in taking all the pressure off City and heaping it all on UTD........and

An inconceivable reverse on Sunday aside.....

Fergie for me has lost the mind games and the premiership!!!!

The day Fergie loses mind game to a man who just about speaks English is a sad day indeed.

Maybe it's time for him to retire.....If that's the case!!

I actually agree with Truss on this one. For me Mancini managed to put the pressure on Man U by saying basically the title was theirs (ie if you screw up you're seriously rubbish), and it worked as Man U crumbled.

The whole subject of mind games is complete tosh! Everton coming back from 4-2 down to draw at Old Trafford has nothing to do with managerial soundbites. More inept defending.

Fergie has been leaning on referees for as long as I can remember, it's part of his make up. It's nothing new.

Mancini saying the title was Utd's was just reiterating what the majority of us thought anyway. When Mancini waved his white flag the title was Utd's to lose on the pitch and on the pitch they did indeed lose it, if they have lost it that is!

The better team with the better players looks like winning the league which tends to happen year in year out. Until a player confesses to missing a gilt edge chance because of what a rival's manager has said I won't buy it.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:I actually agree with Truss on this one. For me Mancini managed to put the pressure on Man U by saying basically the title was theirs (ie if you screw up you're seriously rubbish), and it worked as Man U crumbled.

Well this is nonsense.

United didn't suddenly throw away a 2 goal lead in 10 minutes versus everton because of anything Mancini said.

Nor did ferguson set his team out ridiculously defensively at the etihad because Mancini declared us favourites.

Facts are this united side is terrible and got away with it for 8 months of the season until the wheels came off in April.

Ent,

I agree. Mind games just don't work (Unless your Rafa Benitez) and United have thrown the title away due to defensive frailties. It didn't help Vidic was ruled out for the season, with Rio feeling the effects of back and groin problems this season. Evra has been poor coupled with the lack of right back and holding midfielder has been the downfall of United.

City have got the best players by far and the best squad in the premier league. The fact they have had to go to the final day to win it on goal difference with that squad is quite poor in my view, especially after having at one point an 8 point lead. All I'll say is as a United fan, we need signings in the summer to maintain our competitiveness in Europe and in the league. City may have 'Bought' their first league title, but they have a long way to go to catch up with United and Liverpool in terms of trophies. It took United nearly 20 years of dominance to overtake Liverpool. It will take City just as long in my view.
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ENT i agree with you

Has nothing to do with mindgames. Facts are this United side is appalling and have been getting away with it for months. Man City bought big and they've got quality all over the pitch and a huge squad. United in their own arrogance thought they would win the title anyhow because there a 'title winning machine' and they've got the experience. United bought for the future in young inexperienced players, whereas City bought established world class players.........and we can see the difference. Mancini is a shocking manager & Fergie has been there, seen it and done it. Mancini outdoing Fergie.......please. If anything Mancini is lucky to have even won the title this year. Failure in all the cups and his self admitted failings in preparing for games against Everton & Swansea says it all. Chelsea under Mourinho & the cash bought the title but Fergie and United came back even stronger. This time, however I can't see United coming back stronger. Winning your first title is the hardest but I fully expect City to strengthen in the summer and win the title at a canter next season. United had ronaldo, tevez, giggys, scholes, vidic all in the prime back then........they got nothing near tht nowadays.

Its a big summer for united and they've got to compete with City or it will be a stroll for the noisy neighbours. United are looking at 50-60m this summer in my opinion.

United didn't suddenly throw away a 2 goal lead in 10 minutes versus everton because of anything Mancini said.

Ok then... likewise Newcastle did not throw away a 12 point lead in 1996 because of anything Fergy/Keegan said.

Ferguson having mind games is a myth by his blind followers. CMON Mancini!!!

With fairplay rules coming in John, City will be untouchable until all their players grow old and even then, Sheikh n Bake's brother will sign a £500m deal to buy a chair in the Etihad Stadium or something.

John wrote:ENT i agree with you

Has nothing to do with mindgames. Facts are this United side is appalling and have been getting away with it for months. Man City bought big and they've got quality all over the pitch and a huge squad. United in their own arrogance thought they would win the title anyhow because there a 'title winning machine' and they've got the experience. United bought for the future in young inexperienced players, whereas City bought established world class players.........and we can see the difference. Mancini is a shocking manager & Fergie has been there, seen it and done it. Mancini outdoing Fergie.......please. If anything Mancini is lucky to have even won the title this year. Failure in all the cups and his self admitted failings in preparing for games against Everton & Swansea says it all. Chelsea under Mourinho & the cash bought the title but Fergie and United came back even stronger. This time, however I can't see United coming back stronger. Winning your first title is the hardest but I fully expect City to strengthen in the summer and win the title at a canter next season. United had ronaldo, tevez, giggys, scholes, vidic all in the prime back then........they got nothing near tht nowadays.

Its a big summer for united and they've got to compete with City or it will be a stroll for the noisy neighbours. United are looking at 50-60m this summer in my opinion.

Whilst I agree with some of what you say I can't agree with city buying world class players and United being arrogant.

Who in city's squad is a genuine world class player? Tevez when he can be bothered to play? Toure, Kompany at a push? Hart is/will be but they didn't buy him.

Really city bought every sub elite (but good) player available for 3 or so years for ridiculous money and struck it lucky - look at their strikers purchased in the last few years:

Santa Cruz - £17million
Adebayor - £22million
Robinho - £33 million
Tevez - £32-48million depending on which source you believe
Aguero - £30 million
Dzeko - £30 million
Balotelli - £24 million

Pretty ridiculous.

I do think Ferguson wanted certain players but was unable to get them and had to make do with what he had/could get. His hand has also been forced of late to pick up these good young players early and at a gamble as when they begin to get established we won't be able to compete for their signature.

This season has been irritating as, for example, Stoke and Sunderland have conceded less than us at home and we've dropped silly points from winning positions - and we've let city claim the title despite having an 8 point lead!

Not sure Ferguson has it in him to do it again, he is 70 after all.

Anyway fingers crossed we make some good signings this season and sort the wheat from the chaff in our squad.

Aguero, Tevez, Silva, Kompany, Toure, Hart are world class players, no denying. Must admit the hughes phase did contain some shocking signings where they were throwing money at anything. I just think United needed to buy the sneijders of this world or something special in the middle of the park.

Can Fergie do it again, who knows. We can doubt him but he's proven everyone wrong on so many occasions. I hope united can turn it around cos i cant stand city or mancini.

John wrote:Aguero, Tevez, Silva, Kompany, Toure, Hart are world class players, no denying. Must admit the hughes phase did contain some shocking signings where they were throwing money at anything. I just think United needed to buy the sneijders of this world or something special in the middle of the park.

Can Fergie do it again, who knows. We can doubt him but he's proven everyone wrong on so many occasions. I hope united can turn it around cos i cant stand city or mancini.

Aguero and Silva are not world class in any shape or form, especially Silva who whilst being very talented had 2 good months and has been under par for the majority of the season.

Only Toure and Tevez could be considered genuinely world class signings. Kompany not at that level when he was purchased.

I agree with you that united need signings but really if Vidic had been fit or Rafael and De Gea not cost us points via individual errors we would have won the title (would have been our worst championship winning side).

We need a lot to get to the level of challenging for the title, domestic cups and going deep in europe - I'm ashamed the wheels fell off depite the fact we were only in one competition from early March.

I can understand you saying Silva isnt world class cos of his poor months (down to him adjusting to physicality of prem demands) but Aguero is without doubt a world class striker. Look at his goalscoring record at club and international level. £35m and 25+ goals this season. Kompany is probably in the top 2 defenders in the world right now.

I agree the vidic injury, rafael being appaling and the de gea settling in period/mistakes did cost you the title. I just think City will have the title under their belt and will probably win another title more easily next season until fergie has rebuilt again.

John wrote:I can understand you saying Silva isnt world class cos of his poor months (down to him adjusting to physicality of prem demands) but Aguero is without doubt a world class striker. Look at his goalscoring record at club and international level. £35m and 25+ goals this season. Kompany is probably in the top 2 defenders in the world right now.

I agree the vidic injury, rafael being appaling and the de gea settling in period/mistakes did cost you the title. I just think City will have the title under their belt and will probably win another title more easily next season until fergie has rebuilt again.

Hard to argue with that.

World class is funny, I've a high threshold for saying it - people throw it about.

I do not see how players who havent done it in the cl and at international level can be considered world class, it is something you prove over time.

I agree with you that united need signings but really if Vidic had been fit or Rafael and De Gea not cost us points via individual errors we would have won the title (would have been our worst championship winning side).

But you could argue had Tevez been available all year, and Kompany didn't get sent off or if Toure hadn't gone to the African Cup of Nations City would have wrapped it up by now.

I agree with you that united need signings but really if Vidic had been fit or Rafael and De Gea not cost us points via individual errors we would have won the title

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.

Had Man City not lost to Swansea, not conceded 3 bad goals to Sunderland. Works both ways.

Crimey wrote:

I agree with you that united need signings but really if Vidic had been fit or Rafael and De Gea not cost us points via individual errors we would have won the title (would have been our worst championship winning side).

But you could argue had Tevez been available all year, and Kompany didn't get sent off or if Toure hadn't gone to the African Cup of Nations City would have wrapped it up by now.

Granted but the acon was inevitable as are suspensions.

De gea and rafael also cost us in Europe, it's a bit depressing really.