My Most Memorable Manchester Derby

By the time Mario Balotelli lifted off his shirt to reveal the "Why Always Me?" slogan, I was already fuming. On October 23, 2011 Man United had been dominant against the noisy neighbours until a moment of carelessness led to Balotelli being gifted way too much time and space to stroke home the ball past the hapless De Gea.

For all the problem the young Italian had caused in the days leading to the derby, the last person I wanted on the score sheet was the talented but irritating Italian. And he sure made it a case in point to rub salt on the wound by conjuring that iconic moment.

Despite that I had thought we will get back in the game, but Johnny Evans - yes, the one presently with Man United - contrived to worsen the situation by wrestling Balotelli to the ground after the maverick Italian had sneaked ahead of him. Evans was sent off and the job became impossible. We lost 6-1 that day, and eventually lost the league title to a last minute Aguero winner.

As sobering as the defeat was, it wasn't the most painful derby defeat I've watched before. That honour goes to the 2-1 loss to City at Old Trafford on the 10th of February, 2008. In an emotionally charged atmosphere at Old Trafford, just four days after the 50th anniversary of the Munich disaster, Man United folded.

With the stadium filled with tens of thousands of emotionally supporters, Darius Vassell opened the scoring and Benjani added a second on the stroke of halftime. Not even the cheers and noise of the mourning supporters could lift the spirit for a second half comeback, though Carrick's consolation goal at the dying seconds briefly threatened that.

As the referee blew the whistle to end the game, I was stuck in my chair for a couple of minutes, looking around like a lost sheep. Before the game I was so confident of a win that I never even imagined we could draw, not to talk of losing the game. As I walked home gingerly, I couldn't help but feel we failed to honour the memories of the ones we lost. It remains my most painful Manchester Derby loss till date.

This afternoon, as I take my seat to watch another Manchester derby, the feeling couldn't have been more dissimilar. Unlike the good old days when United was the dominant team of English football, we've slipped way down, still searching for form and identity 11 years after Sir Alex Ferguson stepped aside. Even before the match, the general consensus is that City will win this one. The only thing that remains uncertain is by how many goals.

Whatever happens today, it will never take the place of the most memorable Manchester Derby I've ever watched. That haunting 2-1 loss to an average Man City side will continue to be. I can only hope an important United victory over City in oncoming fixtures will overshadow the painful loss that continues to linger. All I can do is hope.

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