The irony of ironies. For a fan base that whinged like nobodies business about having their feelings hurt by the perception of other fan bases being “Anyone but United” they are firmly aboard the “Anyone but Liverpool” train. It’s strange because when they were supposedly on the other end of it it was a sign of inadequacy, and the sort of thing only small time fans got involved in.
Of all the things they smugly and patronisingly accused others of doing over two and a half decades, is there anything left that they haven’t done inside 5 years?
The about turn in Manchester football has been startling in the last few years. Not so long ago, City fans despised everything about United and their fanbase. Fast forward a few years and City have turned into Abu Dhabi and now act in the exact same way as the United they always felt they were above and who they loathed and despised with a rabid passion. Now, Abu Dhabi are just as horribly entitled, just as pompous, just as ugly and just as full of spite and bitterness as their old foes from Trafford.
On the other hand, United always lorded it and felt they were a cut above everyone else. They revelled in being hated by everyone else because it was a sign of how much they were feared, but they also used it to state just how small time the haters and ABUs were. Yet here we are today. Ferguson has gone and took his winning formula with him. The club have gone from ruthless efficiency to sacking managers left, right and centre and they have gone down the sentimental route faster than a rabbit with a fox on its tail. Not only that, they are now willing to sacrifice their own progress this season so long as it helps their hated city rivals win the title ahead of Liverpool. Imagine needing (no, begging for) snookers off your despised local rivals in this way. Their descent from grace has been absolutely spectacular, and their small time behaviour now is of Evertonian proportions.
I always looked forward to the demise of United, but I never thought it would all happen quite so fast and be quite so spectacular.
In the space of a few short years, both Manchester clubs have turned into everything they said they despised in the other.