Roberto "Boom Boom" Mancini has sparked controversy in the north west on the day of the Manchester derby by claiming that Manchester City can beat Manchester United on any given day of the week.
Mancini insists that City are a more formidable prospect than when the two teams last met, and there wouldn't be any repetition of the last minute United goals which have marked previous inter city clashes.
City fans have come streaming out of the woodwork posting in internet forums that same tired old mantra: "Everybody in Manchester Supports City. City are the only real Manchester team. United fans are all Londoners. United fans are all glory hunters. United fans are just day trippers."
The same old statements they've been trotting out with increasing monotony for years.
Whilst this reporter has been earholed many times over a number of decades that he should really be a City fan, he doesn't recall at any point trying to personally convert a blue into a red. Because that would just be silly. And we wouldn't want them anyway.
We caught up with the usual suspect, Jarbo The Killer in The Trafford on Chester Road, and he told us:
"They always come out with that crap. I'm sick of hearing it. And as for Mancini's statements - what a load of old boll*cks. He should stick to doing what he knows best - wearing that fucking stupid City scarf and looking a right twat on the touchline. Yeah, he's dead good at that. Numpty.
Oh, and if any City fans pick this up - 34 years, and counting. Did you get that lads? 34 years!"
Amazing.
More as we get it.
