Robin was injured, a thigh strain or a groin strain, doesn't really matter which one. The inconsequential fact of the matter was that he wasn't fit and he cut a forlorn figure sitting in the comfy seats at the Etihad.
So why would I begin to suggest that it was inconsequential to be without the best striker in the league? Had we have played Robin we might have had more cutting edge going forward. We might have made more of the scraps our forwards had to feed off in the first 65 mins. Maybe... A lack of quality up top was nothing to do with United's demise in the first derby of the season.
United fans sat baffled and confounded in the stands as United's most intelligent and consistent passer of the ball, Michael Carrick proceeds to play straight balls from central midfield into a harassed and uncomfortable front two. There was nowhere else to go, City defended superbly and strangled anything through the middle.
Rooney had his nose put out of joint from the get go, hassled into mistakes and overpowered by a possessed Vincent Kompany. The frustrated Merseysider conceded foul after foul before Howard Webb booked him. Having said that he was the only player whose head never dropped. Wayne's sumptuous goal made him the all time leading goal scorer in the Manchester Derby. It was ample reward for his endeavour, he was our best player today.
So we didn't miss Robin and Rooney played well, what then went wrong?
The same thing that always goes wrong when we lose to our second fiercest rivals. When we go two up top with a supplementary couple of wingers we get overrun. Fellaini and Carrick will dominate midfield battles against any number of premiership counterparts but they won't beat a midfield of Toure, Fernandinho and Nasri, because that's what they faced. All of their midfielders with the possible exception of Navas are comfortable on the ball anywhere across the middle of the park. Effectively letting City play the ball around with mesmerising fluidity. With their positions changing as often as the scoreline United's creative outlets were rendered obsolete.
A few weeks ago I listened to Gary Neville wear his tongue thin about how Paul Scholes was the best player he'd ever played with. During his spiel he went on to say that throughout his time at the club Fergie had emphasised that being in a United training session was a lesson in how to keep possession. It wasn't a sole focus but it was of fundamental importance.
Carrick has become the new Scholes, quarter backing United's attacks for the last two seasons. He's our most important player and as such hasn't missed a game for fucking ages. Regardless of what the Stretford End sing, regardless of his importance and quality, Paul Scholes he is not.
I digress.
Scholes in his pomp wouldn't have had any impact on today's game, reason being we played four in midfield. Away at the Etihad we have one tactic at our disposal. Pack the midfield, stifle their verve and creativity and then break quickly. It's paid dividends in away ties at the Emirates, the Etihad and the Bridge more often than not.
I think Fergie became aware that the team and squad he had assembled had the capacity to out class 16 or 17/19 of our premiership opponents season after season. The relentless trophy winning machine that was Ferguson's United had many strengths, but self-awareness was amongst their most invaluable. Today reminded me of the Champions League final at Wembley when Ferguson buckled under his own pride and felt our best could beat the World's best on our terms. Barcelona were a better team with better individuals and alas a midfield two of Carrick and Giggs had no answer to Barca's intelligence.
Moyes approached today with that same pride and probable naivety. Thinking he could put his best midfield up against City's best and come out on top. I personally don't think we have the players to keep the ball as well as Chelsea, Arsenal or City especially when put up against them. We have a squad packed full of players who can win League titles, who know what it takes over the length of the season but in these one off monster games we'll continue to come up short if we don't employ that self-awareness that defined Ferguson's genius.
On 70 minutes, Cleverley came on, Fellaini played in the hole joining the midfield while defending and supplementing the attack when we had the ball and United controlled the game and created more opportunities than they managed in the last 70.
Know your opponent's strengths and shield your own weaknesses and you'll have a formula for success away from home at the big boys.
And if I hadn't already made it clear, please don't play four in midfield away at the Etihad ever again Moyesy.
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