Response from Dion to my email:
"Thank you for your email. I'm sorry you were offended by my last line which was intended as a joke, although clearly not everybody saw it that way.
As I said in my piece, I think Manchester City have a number of players who are not what might be termed "model professionals" and, as I said, I think that adds to their appeal right now. The last line was intended in that fashion more than as abuse which is also why it was slightly ambiguous.
I am not a Manchester United fan, not that it matters, and I accept the point you make about those players but that was the argument I was trying to make. Maybe I should have said you will win nothing with saints.
I am grateful to you for your email which has been one of the few not to be racist or wish me a slow and painful death! But if I take a risk with a line like that, I have to accept the reaction."