Sports
Sunderland v Man Utd: Remembering 2012 – and how Black Cats laughed at visitors as title disappeared
Which is exactly what Ferguson did.
As Sunderland‘s supporters did the ‘Poznan’, the trademark dance adopted by City after a visit from the Polish side, where they turn their backs to the game and put their arms around the shoulders of the fans next to them, a fierce desire for revenge burned within the Scot.
It reminded him of the aftermath of losing at Liverpool in 1992, a result which confirmed Leeds as champions at United’s expense, when young players in his squad were taunted.
The message he delivered was similar.
“When we lost the league to Leeds United in 1992, I said to [Ryan] Giggs and the boys, you remember this day,” Ferguson revealed at an awards dinner the day after the Sunderland trip.
“That’s exactly what I said to the players yesterday. Those Sunderland fans that were cheering for City, remember the day. We won’t forget that I’m telling you.”
The experience was crushing.
Premier League chairman Dave Richards was not aware of how the situation had changed so dramatically.
Having left his seat at full-time for what he thought was going to be a trophy presentation, Richards congratulated a senior United official as he made his way through the stadium towards the tunnel area, only to be informed his services would not be required.
Another senior United official switched his phone off on the lonely drive home and kept it off when he arrived back. He wasn’t in the mood to talk.
United’s players watched the City game on their way back to Manchester. The conspiracy theories soon started.
Why, after Edin Dzeko’s equaliser, did a QPR side with a number of former City players in their ranks, put the ball straight out of play near the home goalline from the restart?
This ignores the fact that a full minute later, 10-man QPR had a throw-in just inside the City half, which lone striker Jay Bothroyd challenged for, Joleon Lescott won and Nigel de Jong set off on the run that ended with one of the all-time most memorable Premier League goals.
“That should have been looked into,” said Wayne Rooney, half-jokingly during an appearance on the Overlap in April 2025.
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While Europe’s bigger nations have their own in-house resources, countries like Northern Ireland share staff with clubs, which can bring its own challenges in an extended window.
“We don’t carry full-time doctors, full-time physios and full-time sports scientists,” O’Neill added.
“Other countries are the same, but all our staff work at clubs and we need agreement from the clubs.
“That’s a challenge to be able to staff it properly and keep the level of professionalism.
“The big countries don’t have that, they have full-time staff and an army of staff to be able to do these things.”
O’Neill also has to consider how much to rotate this squad. It’s a fine balance between keeping key players fresh, but also how much exposure to give his young squad.
Of the 26-man squad, 17 of the players are aged 25 or under and only three – Josh Magennis (36), Paddy McNair (31) and Dion Charles (30) – are over the age of 30.
Arsenal’s Ceadach O’Neill, Everton’s Braiden Graham and Kieran Morrison, who is on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Liverpool, are the three teenagers in the squad.
“I don’t want to put too many young players on the pitch in a game like that where they’re untried and untested at that level,” O’Neill said.
“We want to bring the younger players in to give them the best chance to be able to do well and to build their confidence and to build their reputation. That’s the challenge for us.”
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