Derby date leaves plenty to the imagination

I’M writing before kick-off in Spain but for once I can genuinely be insouciant enough to suggest that it doesn’t really matter how we did last night; all eyes have been on next Sunday since full-time in Brum.

The sooner this most tedious and tension-free European Cup group is over the better, although the travelling Red Army is admittedly quite grateful that we’ve had the opportunity to escape snowbound Blighty for a few days.

Still, one point of interest – how did Rossi do? You might have guffawed reading the weekend press reports that Fergie hasn’t ruled out exercising the buy-back clause to bring the Italian to Old Trafford next season, presumably to help fill the hole Tevez is expected to leave. (An expectation repeatedly punted here, long before the presspack woke up to it.) Rossi’s sale was one of the most fan-regretted departures of recent years and although the reason given was that the kid wanted more first team action, no-one was convinced.