Sir Alex Ferguson's brutal statement sent shockwaves through the Man Utd dressing room

Sir Alex Ferguson delivered a brutal “I told you so” speech to his dispirited Manchester United team immediately following their defeat to Manchester City. The 2011/12 championship race is remembered as the most exciting in Premier League history.

United looked set to secure another title on the final day with a 1-0 win at Sunderland, with City also needing three points against QPR, who led for much of the match at the Etihad. As the match entered stoppage time, the Londoners still led 2-1, with many dejected home fans heading for the exits.

But in a dramatic turn of events, Edin Dzeko equalized in the 92nd minute before Sergio Aguero, immortalized by Martin Tyler's commentary on Sky Sports, scored the goal that secured the title on goal difference. The news quickly reached the stunned United players and supporters at the Stadium of Light.

Despite the heartbreaking nature of the defeat, Ferguson did not hold back in the dressing room, criticizing the team's inability to achieve more emphatic victories, which would improve their goal difference. Former United player and current Watford head coach Tom Cleverly vividly remembers what the legendary manager said to the team.

He told United's official website: “The manager said to all of us: 'I told you. That's why I wanted you to be more ruthless and really kill teams, because you can lose championships on goal difference'.

“That's how much of a winner he was, how ruthless he wanted us to be. If we had done that, scored more goals, really killed teams, we would have won the championship in 11/12.”

Cleverley still finds it painful to look back on this season's dramatic finale and admitted: “I wasn't in the team at Sunderland that day, but I was coming down from the directors' box at the Stadium of Light and as soon as Dzeko scored City's equalizer, I knew it.

“I could see it unfolding and that it was meant to be theirs. It was a terrible, terrible day in my career. I still can't listen to Martin Tyler's commentary when the clip comes on Sky Sports. You know this one.”

United bounced back in style winning the title in Sir Alex's final season before bowing out. It was United's last league title, and the next seems more distant than ever, with Ruben Amorim now tasked with the previously unthinkable prospect of fending off a relegation battle.

Ferguson's retirement was followed by an era of dominance, with City winning the championship seven times between 2014 and 2024. However, that dominance came to a grinding halt this season, with City struggling in both the Premier League and in the Champions League.