who's the boss? dont ask me stupid question please.

last night, United completely dominated the first half. City’s muted supporters were reduced to cheering the odd throw-in or tackle won. I couldn’t even see who’d scored the goal when Rooney poked the ball home from Carrick’s saved shot as the penangites-mancunian sitting in front of me went mental.

In the second half the Reds weathered the inevitable spell of pressure from the city, and battled through when Ronaldo got sent off in the game’s talking point. I thought a red card was inevitable with the way Howard Webb refereed the game. Derbies aren’t ordinary matches, and should be recognised as such. Start dishing out yellow cards left, right and centre and you disrupt the game’s flow, get players and fans agitated and you set a precedent - the only way to be consistent is to keep giving out yellow cards.

Ronaldo’s first booking simply wasn’t a foul - he got the ball - and Rafael’s booking, the first of the afternoon, was another case in point. He’s an 18-year-old lad playing in his first Derby. Yes, ok he threw the ball away, but just speak to him, tell him to calm down and get on with the game. Next time, you’ll go in the book.

Webb consistently got it wrong all afternoon – even at the end he gave a throw-in for United that should have gone to City, then seconds later gave a throw to City when it should have been United’s. Fortunately it didn’t contrive to deny United of a fully deserved victory, and Ronny misses Blackburn in the Carling Cup – a game he may well not have played in anyway.

Darren Fletcher, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov were all excellent for the Reds. In comparison, it is clear that in Manchester, United fans finished the game singing “where was Robinho?” after the also impressive Rafael largely kept his countryman as quiet as his team's supporters.

The Blues may have added a few 0s to their bank account, but it’s still United that boast the wealth of talent. And where as City released their season review dvd last term celebrating their derby double, United move on from these victories looking at the wider picture : chasing the title.