As one half of Manchester tears itself apart in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo's scattergun attack on all things United, the other half will be sitting content that Ronaldo's criticisms are not aimed in their direction.
United are reeling - and are bracing themselves for more - from Ronaldo's interview with Piers Morgan, where the Portuguese superstar has criticised the club's owners, directors, managers, players and even the attitude of their academy players coming through.
Ronaldo claims he is speaking out from a place of love for the supporters, although the reaction hasn't been too welcoming from fans who are seeing shoots of recovery under Erik ten Hag that Ronaldo is now trampling over. City are not exempt from Ronaldo's comments as he opened up on the Blues' attempts to sign him last summer. 18 months on, they'll be delighted he didn't.
ALSO READ: Every word from the first part of Cristiano Ronaldo's interview with Piers Morgan
"Well, honestly, it was close... It's something they spoke [about] a lot and [Pep] Guardiola said two weeks ago, I guess, that they tried hard to have me," Ronaldo said.
"But as you know, as my history [was] in Manchester United, your heart, your feeling... make the difference. And of course, as well, Sir Alex Ferguson. I was surprised. But it was a conscious decision. Because the heart speaks, speaking loud in that moment. I think [Ferguson] was the key. It was the difference in that moment, but I cannot be loyal if I will, I wouldn't say that Manchester City wasn't close," Ronaldo said.
"I spoke with him [Ferguson]. He said to me that, 'It's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'. And I say, 'OK, Boss'. So I took the decisions and... it was a good decision."
This isn't particularly new information. City wanted to sign Ronaldo after missing out on Harry Kane, and they faced the prospect of going into the 2021/22 season without a recognised striker. Ronaldo was available, and while it would have been sensational given his United connections, there were merits to the interest - although City say they weren't as close to a transfer as Ronaldo claims they were, and Guardiola said at the time he didn't feel they would have signed him had he not ended up across town.
City, and Guardiola, don't sign any striker for the sake of it, and Ronaldo's 24 goals in a struggling United side showed he would still have been able to score goals. Just look at Erling Haaland this season, who is dispelling the idea that City strikers need to press high and also come back to get involved in the build-up. It helps, but as long as you're scoring goals, it's not essential.
But Ferguson and his band of United legends couldn't bear to see Ronaldo in sky blue, so they stepped in and instructed United to re-sign their hero instead. It could be the biggest gift Ferguson has ever given to City.
If Ronaldo has moved to the Etihad, yes he may have scored goals, but his reported £500,000-per-week wages would have disrupted the squad harmony and very possibly prevented them from being able to sign Haaland this summer. Three months into this season, City wouldn't trade Haaland for anyone. They also get him for five years, with Ronaldo's career dwindling towards a bitter end.
Ronaldo is showing that if a manager puts the team first, he isn't willing to play ball. Guardiola rotates and Ronaldo would be part of that, so who's to say the Morgan interview wouldn't have been replicated if Ronaldo was a City player? He wouldn't have been able to make his criticisms of United's infrastructure, facilities, ownership and general attitude running through the club had he been a City player, but he would surely have found something to complain about.
Ferguson diverting Ronaldo from the Etihad to Old Trafford has been a blessing for City, and one that has left them in a far stronger position with Haaland as their number nine instead.
When Ferguson infamously said 'not in my lifetime' regarding the idea of City going into a derby as favourites over United, the Blues have since asserted their dominance in Manchester over the last 11 or 12 years. And his intervention last summer has ensured United will remain in City's shadow for a while to come, just as they were starting to claw their way back.
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