My ten pence worth - we need to add some perspective here.
Q: Have you ever seen a City side that was brilliant one day and hopeless the next? Answer: yes
Q: But I bet this never happened in their heyday under a brilliant manger like Mercer or Mancini so we should blame Pellegrini. Answer: Sorry but yes it did and so its a moot point.
Q: I bet City have regularly turned up at Anfield - bossed the game from start to finish and piled in a landslide worth of goals. Answer: Not in living memory I'm afraid.
Q: I bet that for some strange reason at Anfield, every slip or miskick by a city player leads immediately to a goal. Answer: Yes it does.
Q: I bet that for some strange reason at Anfield, every shot from outside of the box is either a screamer into the top corner or tucks inside the post just out of the city keeper's reach. Answer: Yes it does.
Q: I bet that when we play on Merseyside the referee bends in our favour - punishing violent behaviour when it occurs, sending off their players for violent conduct and dishing out yellows for minor infringements by them. When there is sniff of a penalty the first thing the referee thinks of is "...that's a clear penalty for City." Answer: Not in living memory I'm afraid. The very opposite sadly.
Q: I would prefer to lose home and away to Liverpool but still be the one lifting the silverware. In fact it makes it even more special when that happens! Answer: Yes it definitely does.
Like everyone I was sick of what happened on Wedneday but it really was all too familiar and no need to go overboard: in fact there must be something cultural going on when we play Liverpool, which at least made Sunday all the sweeter? Liverpool play like they expect to beat us in every game; they treat our games like a derby only now with added bitterness, booing players and in some cases the whole team for 45 minutes (shame on them). City on the other hand turn up like the good cityzens we are, play as fairly as we can, and by jingo give them a good old open game and jolly well try to take them on. And because City's Derby can only involve playing United it follows we can't approach the game with the right mental attitude and we get done for it (respect to Mancini he learned this the hard way and famously said "...never again.")
The club needs to look at our history, learn from it and in future approach games on Merseyside as if they are tougher, rougher and involve more cheating than in a Derby and accordingly, settle for a draw until we nail this hoodoo.
One more question forumites:
Q: Europa Cup - Liverpool versus Man United next week - who are you rooting for?