How the mighty have fallen. Manchester United will regard this goalless draw against Manchester City as something of a victory. Not that either side did enough to win.
And that was the greatest indictment of them all for big, proud clubs so associated with thrilling, attacking go-for-it football. In this land of football giants this was pygmy-like. Noisy neighbours? There was barely a squeak from either side.
We know United have, for so long now, been nowhere near their previous heights but for City this was a frustrating encounter in which they simply failed to threaten.
What did the watching Eric Cantona, back at Old Trafford as a guest and reunited with Sir Alex Ferguson, make of it? This was the kind of tepid football he would have turned his nose up at, rather than his collar. Even the argy-bargy – and there was very little – appeared half-hearted.
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