Day to forget as Trotters make us eat humble pie

POOR PIQUE. Last week he enthused: “You know if you make a mistake you have these great players around you. Rio Ferdinand talks a lot to you on the pitch and helps you out...” Mmm. Well, there’s an easy dig to be had at my least favourite player there but I should be better than that.

Meanwhile, Anelka’s message in scoring from Gerry’s error couldn’t have been clearer — “buy me, oh God please buy me, these pie-eaters are driving me nuts” — but our attention should be focussed at the other end. We lost up front, not at the back.

Indeed, it was a bit of a throwback afternoon — and I’m not just talking about the baying neanderthals in the home stands. We were reminded, as often last season, how barren we can be without Rooney and Ronaldo. We need one or the other. Especially if Tevez decides to throw back to his September form, when he was missing sitters like that late blaster every 10 minutes.