More United reax

Ian Herbert, The Independent

But while there is a heroism of sorts in the capricious manner of a defeat which has done Mancini's future employment chances no harm, a suspicion persists that they have not travelled as far in four months as he would have us believe. For a side so fond of wing play, they have curiously poor delivery into the box. For one managed by an Italian, they are obstinately prone to defensive lapses like Saturday's. When the moment arrived to write their names across the history of this fixture against a bruised Manchester United, they played for 45 minutes like the relative strangers they are and lacked attacking resolve.

Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail

For Roberto Mancini's City team, it was a low day. None of their stellar names - Bellamy, Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor - stepped up to the plate.

Although their Champions League ambitions remain alive, this was a day to learn lessons.

Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph

For all the frustration felt by City’s staff and supporters, Saturday must serve as a reminder of how close they are. The difference between a useful point and the eventual barren feeling was about an inch, the distance between Shay Given’s outstretched fingers and Scholes’s downward header. In every sense, City are not far away from getting it right.

Kevin McCarra, The Guardian

There is a different and more lasting tumult in prospect. City ought to be able to absorb the pain of one more stoppage-time goal from United. They should even be phlegmatic about the imbalance that saw the visitors fashion the real openings while Roberto Mancini's team dealt in melees and a debatable penalty appeal. The club is equipped to improve further, thanks to Sheikh Mansour's largesse, but the unavoidable redevelopment of United's squad may have to be undertaken with a smaller budget.

James Ducker, The Times

City, for whom Carlos Tévez was ineffectual against his former club, had half a shout for a penalty when Gareth Barry tumbled under marginal contact from Neville, but it was all industry and no invention until Scholes ghosted in between Stephen Ireland and Vincent Kompany to head home and reaffirm why Ferguson was so delighted that the midfield player had agreed to sign another one-year contract a day earlier.