When the final whistle blew to end the Rams FA cup campaign they had lost the match but I felt they won something much more important.

I could dissect in detail the juvenile antics United displayed during the game but I am sure whether it was on a message board or down at the local pub you have already done so and probably come to similar conclusions.

Back in my days as a radio announcer I worked with a fellow announcer who was no doubt very talented and for that matter very popular but sadly succumbed to what I coined as “don’t you know who I am” syndrome. He was the type who walked to the front of a line at events or clubs, demanding or should I say expecting free meals when eating out and generally acting like a total twat in public when he felt something was below him. To me he was the individual embodiment of what Manchester United has come to represent in the football world.

During Sundays game whether it was Ronaldo’s tantrum at being brought down by a hard but fair Savage tackle, to the toddler like fist banging of Nani, United were wearing their ‘don’t you know we are the champions of the world’ hat. A hat that has made a very talented and successful team even more disliked than they ever needed be.

In the case of Ronaldo, I am tired of watching a supreme superstar behave like a petulant child. He, like Pele, could be a timeless figure remembered for amazing skill and heroic match winning feats. Instead he will be remembered as much for his diving, arrogance and dummy spits as he will for his prolific goal scoring and near perfect technical ability. Ferguson claims it is the result of being targeted by opposition players but those footballers who will always be remembered are those who are cool in their actions as they are on the ball.

The biggest shame of all was that the game became diluted by the mother of all tantrums, caused by a clearly offside goal being disallowed albeit quite late. The resulting over reaction obviously placed fear in officials hearts as it led to them allowing another clearly offside goal onto the scoresheet.

Why is it that such a ridiculously talented group of players, respected the world over for their ability and dominance, need to act like they are above being called for a foul or for that matter pretty well any indiscretion. Their players crowd around and abuse referee’s as if that red shirt gives them the right to do so and in fact appear to believe they have the final say over decisions rather than the man holding the whistle

I suppose you can’t expect much better when their all knowing and glorious leader at the same time will be screaming at officials and walking in and out of his designated area to lambast anyone who will listen to his P.T Barnum like barking act. Other managers would be sent to the stand, other managers would be suspended from the touchline and other manager’s players would be carded for dissent but sadly for us, others are not Manchester United.

Even the commentators on Setanta stated after the second goal that ‘fans will feel justice has been done’. Now I don’t know about you but as much as I love to win I can’t say that being awarded a second offside goal because I didn’t get the first one would feel like justice. I would feel like we got a slice of luck but that type of arrogance is not in the spirit of the game and stems from a bloated superiority complex.

There is no doubt that United deserved their lead but like any other team no matter the dominance they display it does not always transfer to the scoresheet. The fact of the matter is the score should have been 0-1 at half time and it could have produced a vastly different second half ….but now we will never know.

Now I am not foolish enough to believe that you get anywhere in the sporting world without a certain amount of gamesmanship and intimidation but United's pantomime antics are starting to wear very thin and surely it can only be a matter of time before they have to play by the same rules as everyone else.

A few weeks ago in my very article I stated that one thing Nigel has already produced and is developing at the club is a long forgotten sense of pride. Every single fan of the Rams should feel that pride pressing against their innards as it threatens to build to the point of exploding after recent results.

Making it to the 5th round of the Fa cup, scoring 4 goals against a team no one else seems to be able to breach and a come behind win like none that have gone before against the greatest of foes. Then to top it off 3 impressive victories in the league have showed other teams above Derby that they will need to be looking over their shoulders as the Rams are in the mood to mug a few of them before seasons end.

This weekend when the Rams face Forest again, another result against their ultimate foe will not just place pride back in the hearts and minds of every Rams fan, it will brand it back into their psyche. Not since the days of Jim Smith has there seemingly been such a bright future for the club.

We may not have won the cup but we won back a lot of pride. On top of that each and every fan can be pleased that Derby are not champions of the world because if Sunday is an example of what type of team it takes to earn the title, we would have little or nothing to be proud of.

Photo: Action Images

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