United's players feeling their fans' pain after 6-1 thrashing

Manchester United suffered their heaviest home defeat in more than half a century as Roberto Mancini’s team moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League with Manchester City's biggest win on United territory since 1926.

But with City’s victory underlining the club’s ability to challenge United for honours for the first time in over 30 years, the sense of a power shift in Manchester has grown with Sunday’s remarkable result.

And with many of United’s players being based in and around the city, Fletcher admits that he and his team-mates will not spared from the goading that the supporters will face in the wake of the 6-1 defeat.

“Without doubt, we realise how much stick and how much banter there will be for our fans.” Fletcher said. “We know how much it is hurting because the players are hurting just as much.

“We have to live in the city as well so we are going to have to deal with it too. 

“But as I kept reiterating to the lads after the game, we have to remember how it feels to lose by this scoreline.” City’s victory saw them replace United as the bookmakers’ favourites to win this season’s title race.

But Fletcher insists that United will not allow the size of Sunday’s defeat to paint a false impression of their own title aspirations.

“There is a long season to go.” Fletcher said. “There are no medals handed out at this stage of the season and there are still 20-odd games left.

“It is a bad result losing to Manchester City, but this doesn’t mean the league is over. We have to respond and win our next game.

“City are in a great position but Chelsea were in this position last year and were eight or nine clear. They are the team at the top and everyone will now be trying to knock them off.

“We are disappointed, really disappointed, but we will have to bounce back.

"Nobody wants to lose by the margin we did, but lose by 1-0 or lose by that score and it is the same points difference.”