VMC's Some Might Say: Mancio Proud And Unbowed

Post Match Reaction to City's narrow defeat at Old Trafford from key characters and the VMC Forums...

Roberto Mancini:

'We were beaten by a moment of genius and I think that this was the only way we were going to lose this match. I thought we were in control for large parts of the match and after we levelled, I thought we would go on to win the game or draw at the very least. I think we played very well and I`m very proud of my players, but sometimes football can be cruel and they scored a fantastic goal that we could do nothing about.'

City have no time to mull over this defeat with crucial Europa League and FA Cup clashes with Aris and Notts County imminent. With over three months of the season to go, Mancio is not about to throw in the towel:

'It will be difficult for us to catch United because we are now eight points behind them again, but we will try our best and continue. We lost this game but didn't deserve to - maybe the next time we play an important game we won't play as well as we did today and end up winning.'

Sir Alex Ferguson:

'I've never seen anything like it, that's for sure. Absolutely stunning. Unbelievable. The thing about that goal is that Nani's goal will be completely forgotten and it was a fantastic goal. His first touch takes it around the defender and he rolled it into the net. It was an unbelievable goal but no-one in their right sense will even talk about it!

'I thought City made the brighter start, they got inside Evra with Silva and Yaya Toure and that caused us a bit of bother. But from the fifteenth minute on I thought we played fantastic football.

'Second half, City made a change by bringing Wright-Phillips on which helped them on that side of the pitch, but nothing really bothered us. They got a lucky break when Dzeko's shot deflected off Silva and from that moment on they gave them the imputus. When you score goal in big games, that can happen and that's what City got.'

Taggart refused to right City off. Perhaps his most begrudging admission yet that City are no longer to be ignored:

'They are in the top four. They've got a big, strong squad. They will win more games than you'd think. They are still a threat.'


Buzz Lightyear:

'City showed some class today, but missed some vital players that would have won us the game, Smalling did well in place of Ferdinand, we are getting closer to them. If we had played this way at Eastlands in the home game, we would have won that hands down.

'Today we showed that we were not frightened to go at them and had we finished a lot better or had some luck with the bounce and the ref then we may well have come away with a double, sadly we didn't and its off to the next game, that goodness it is only till Tuesday we have to suffer.'

Stu MCFC:

'Remarkably unlucky, I knew we wouldn't score late as we don't have that mentality but we played very well with a few exceptions (Milner, Tevez, Lescott). We are very close to them now I feel, there was something far more assured about our performance against them today, irrespective of the result.'

Eighthsin:

'A bit of magic decided the match. That fact that we stood toe to toe with them shows that this City side is the real deal.'

PhillyBlueMoon:

'Richards showed why he should not be sold this summer, and Kompany showed why he should be given the captain's armband if Tevez leaves. I went with Kompany, but it easily could have been Silva or Richards. We sorely missed de Jong, and Balotelli needs to come back sooner rather than later.'

CUP MATTERS ON VMC:

Head for the VMC Match Day Experience Forum for the build up and beyond to City's return to action in the Europa League and FA Cup this coming week.

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