‘Judge me at the end of the season’ – the soundbite one usually hears at some point in a turbulent or inconclusive part of a manager’s campaign.
The respective bosses of both Manchester clubs have now departed, receiving tributes and trashings of their own.
For the players left behind, however, the reviews and inquests into their performances will last long into the summer while the new regimes at United and City judge who will play a part in their respective new eras.
Some, who have been officially recognised for their contributions, will no doubt stay on, yet there will always be those whose perseverance has been glossed over because of the excellence of others.
Admittedly, David De Gea’s inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year is a ringing endorsement, but there remain some doubters as to his long-term suitability as Manchester United’s goalkeeper.
The manager himself seemed to be unsure as to who to make his first-choice stopper, rotating frequently between the Spaniard and Anders Lindegaard.
This was an attempt to combat the at-times calamitous defensive situation in the opening months of the season.
However, De Gea needed a run of games and show of trust, and when those chances came he took them with huge gloved hands and held on.
By mid-February the confidence of the excellently bearded and quiffed 22-year-old was on show.
A plethora of terrific saves combined – crucially – with his improved physical presence in dealing with high balls into the box and the odd Andy Carroll.
It is therefore no coincidence that he kept a run of six league clean sheets around the time United pinned their title rivals into submission.
Ferguson summed his development up wonderfully, saying: “It’s like a young kid taking his first steps forward. He wobbles, gets up, wobbles, gets up again and eventually he walks. The boy is walking now.”
For all the talk of Wayne Rooney’s future, few have sat down and thought about his input to the champions’ record-breaking season.
While the ex-Everton man has probably by his standards not had the best year, it is still remarkable how he has managed 16 strikes and 13 assists in an injury-interrupted season.
The problem is that his standing as one of the world’s best demands more of last year’s Rooney – where he scored more league goals than Robin van Persie has this season.
Perhaps van Persie’s arrival pushed him down the ladder of importance, but it also overshadowed facts such as his two goals at the Etihad and a significant late winner at Fulham.
Across the city, even Rooney’s unfairly perceived indifferent year has failed to clear the mess United’s not-so-noisy neighbours have been left in.
Nevertheless, the promise of a new start under a new boss comes with it the promise of more excellent performances from their stand-out players – notably Matija Nastasic.
Where fellow Balkan Stefan Savic so woefully disappointed in the title-winning crusade, Nastasic is a figure more akin to countryman Nemanja Vidic.
Having been bought in the same deal that saw Savic ushered out of Manchester last summer, the Serbian defender kept an impressive 11 clean sheets in 21 league starts.
Alongside Vincent Kompany he has looked comfortable on and off the ball, while the usurped Joleon Lescott has looked less than so from the sidelines.
Nastastic, at just 20, has outperformed most of his teammates and will need them to step up if he is to reach greater heights.
One man who has had a quiet but solid season is Carlos Tevez – especially when considering the context of his Manchester City odyssey.
Much of his previous year was spent playing golf at home in Argentina after the most public of rejections of his role at the club.
Since his return, the boos from the home supporters are no longer and he has gone about his business in a dignified manner.
His famous persistence on the pitch has not waned either – 14 league assists, more than any other City player, exemplifies his influence on their build-up play.
Although it is unknown who will be paying his wages come August, he is one a handful in Manchester who remain un-sung by most.
Image courtesy of Yahoo Video UK, with thanks
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