Old habits die hard…
Sir Alex Ferguson was in attendance at The Etihad on Saturday evening, where Manchester United completed the unlikeliest of comebacks to deny City a title-clinching victory.
2-0 down at half-time, United scored three times in the second half – two goals from Paul Pogba, the other from Chris Smalling – to win the Manchester Derby.
With United firmly on the back foot shortly after Ilkay Gündogan had doubled City’s lead, a camera was trained on Ferguson, whose glum face epitomised the way most of the club’s supporters were feeling about the way the game appeared to be going.
It wasn’t just the legendary United manager’s miserable look that appeared to catch the attention of some watching, however. As pointed out by many on Twitter, it seemed Ferguson had – deliberately, it was assumed – covered the City badge embroidered into his seat.
Sir alex. What a legend. Cover the city badge up before he sits down! #greatcomeback #manchesterisred #united #fergie #manutd #unilad #MUFC #DerbyDay pic.twitter.com/3mVPU1d7sb
— Rhianne L J Hoyle (@rhianne_hoyle11) April 7, 2018
When you don’t want your back to touch a dirty badge 😂 absolute legend! #Fergie #ManchesterIsRed #ManUtd pic.twitter.com/Esco7Bi7Ot
— JoshR❕ (@JoshR1990) April 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/NickBrightDJ/status/982670267666354176
Fergie will be livid. Not even letting the City badge touch him! pic.twitter.com/rKAZlAXyVb
— Jonathan Ince (@Inceyjon) April 7, 2018
Fergie showing his usual class covering the badge 😏#ManchesterDerby #alexferguson #MUFC #MCFC pic.twitter.com/rQWWrP4Kh1
— Kimberley (@mrskimmorrison) April 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/JasonBaranowski/status/982666846301229056
Do they cover the city badge for Fergie? #MCIMUN
— Sean (@SeanKeyes) April 7, 2018
Although many United fans assumed this was Fergie’s way of expressing his true feelings towards his former team’s nearest rivals, the photo below shows that it wasn’t just him who had covered up City’s crest.
David Gill, United’s former chief executive, also appeared to have done the same, as did Ed Woodward and Sir Bobby Charlton and his wife.
Of course, there is probably an obvious explanation for this. Some City fans have already pointed out that the things being used to cover the seats were actually unused parts of the mosaic seen around the ground shortly before kick off.
