The Premiership mind games has been cranked up with Manchester City banning BBC reporter Dan Roan after claims that he misrepresented an interview with Patrick Vieira.
Speaking at a charity event the BBC reported Vieira as saying that big clubs always get decisions in a reference to a penalty decision during Monday’s Manchester United v Fulham match.
Not surprisingly Alex Ferguson is at the heart of the war of words between the two clubs.
Ferguson has wooed the English audience for years with his not so cryptic messages aimed at getting under the skins of opposing managers and players.
Kevin Keegan was the most high profile victim as Newcastle blew up in the run-in to the title with the ESPN pundits managerial career never quite recovering
Rafael Benitez was another high profile victim when he read out a prepared statement about decisions that had gone the way of Manchester United liberally punctuated by FACTS and more FACTS.
This season the attention is focussed on Manchester City as Roberto Mancini attempts to take the title across the city for the first time since 1968.
A derby match at the end of April could be pivotal in the destination of the title but before then every pre and post match media conference will give both sides the chance to verbally joust and test the mentality of their opponents.
Previewing the win over Fulham Ferguson responded typically to claims from Viera that it was a desperate move to bring Paul Scholes out of retirement.
“I think he [Vieira] was programmed for that,” the Old Trafford boss said
“Roberto had a wee dig a couple of weeks back. We’re all going to play our hand that way. There will be plenty of ammunition for that. If you talk about desperation, they played a player the other night who refused to go on the pitch.
“The manager said he’d never play again and he takes a five-month holiday in Argentina. What is that? Could that come under the description of desperation?”
The mind games continue with the preview conferences sure to throw up a few more shots across the divided city.
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