For years Manchester City fans have lectured United supporters on how the reds have bought all of their success whilst City have taken a more ethical approach to gaining their limited success.

Yes they went 35 years without a trophy, yes they languished in the lower leagues for a good part of the 90’s, yes as United were lifting the European Cup in Barcelona in 1999 City were defeating Gillingham on penalties to win the Division Two play offs but City hadn’t sold out. They had remained loyal to their roots, they hadn’t become over corporate, they hadn’t “bought their success”, they had remained a “proper club”.

Fast forward to 2011 and this has all changed. City’s only success in the past 36 years has been last season’s FA Cup triumph over Stoke City. Of the 14 players to have played a part in that match for City how many were a product of their youth system? One. Micah Richards, and even he was poached from the Oldham Academy.

Joe Hart aside, every other player in a blue shirt that day had been bought into the club through the outside money of their Arab owner. The money United had supposedly bought their success with came from their own creation. City had become fully reliant on Mr Mansour’s billions.

Aside from their failed moral crusade against too much money in football there is the behaviour of City fans. Their belief that they are one of the biggest clubs in Europe and their belief that they have the best, most loyal fans in the country. Where were these loyal fans before Mr Mansour arrived? Eastlands and Maine Road before it were never full when City were in Divisions 1 and 2 in the 90’s.

City have in essence become everything they claimed for years was ruining football. Their success is based solely on outside financing. They have sold the name of their stadium for sponsorship. They have gained the glory hunting supporters that they were so vocal in mocking United for. A club who could once be hated, but respected have lost even that.