If the fallout from Manchester City's defeat of Manchester United on Saturday is anything to go by, then the only thing that Gary Neville hates more than Boris Johnson is players sending apology tweets.
When he probably should have been fuming over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tactical disaster-class in the humiliating derby day loss, the former United captain instead took to Twitter to take a swipe at United's players and their use of social media.
Boilerplate apology tweets after bad performances are becoming a theme of United's season, so when a video emerged of United's CEO of Media explaining how social media managers work with players to create narratives around them and influence supporters, Neville was not best pleased.
Here at City Is Ours we've been watching the drama unfold - well, in-between fits of laughter. It's got us thinking, had Twitter existed 19 years ago, what would Neville's apology tweet have looked like following his own Manchester derby nightmare?
On November 9, 2002, City hosted United in the last ever derby at Maine Road. Emotions were not just running high in the stands but on the field too; Neville's refusal to shake then City goalkeeper and former teammate Peter Schmeichel's hand in the tunnel before kick-off remains a classic derby day moments.
On the pitch, Neville's elite mentality briefly deserted him with hilarious consequences. After Solskjaer cancelled out Nicolas Anelka's early opener for Kevin Keegan's side, Marc Vivien Foe hoisted a seemingly nothing ball towards the United goal.
Neville tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal-kick at the edge of the visitor's box, yet somehow he allowed Shaun Goater to rob him, run unopposed towards goal and coolly finish past Fabian Barthez from a tight angle.
As the City fans behind the goal leapt to their feet in disbelieving celebration, Neville walked away head in hands. At that very moment, he was surely wishing that there was some sort of digital mass communication platform on which he could distribute an apology.
Had there been, then it might have looked something like this:
"Devastated. Want to apologise for my part in City's second goal, football is all about moments, but in that moment I was soft. When I felt Goater coming to nick the ball off me I knew I was in big trouble. What a player. I f***** up.
"Our kid Phil should have done better with the first but he's not a midfielder is he?
"A joke of a performance but it's what we do now that counts. We're Man United, we need to get back to the United way and show our mentality. GGMU.
The Goat added a sensational third shortly after half-time, his 100th goal for the club, to complete a famous 3-1 win for City. Ultimately United won the title that season, but City were more than happy with a ninth-place finish in their first year back in the division.
That Solskjaer's goal added a bit of respectability to the scoreline, which is more positive contribution than anything he managed on his most recent derby engagement
For Neville's part, he can thank his lucky stars that he didn't have to face football Twitter 19 years ago. Had he done, then perhaps he would understand exactly why so many footballers let social media firms manage their accounts for them.
