Not since Jose Mourinho arrived in England and promptly proclaimed himself the "Special One" has anyone written his own headlines quite like Mario Balotelli.
The question the Manchester City striker posed on a T-shirt in October's 6-1 win at Manchester United - "Why Always Me?" - remains as pertinent now as it was then.
As City all but exited the title race with Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, Balotelli's deserved dismissal and the seeming inevitability of his loss of control ensured he was identified as the culprit in chief.
Judging by some inquests, fingers should be pointed solely at the eccentric, infuriating Italian.
Yet while a chapter of City's end-of-season analysis may be devoted to Balotelli and the question if the pros outweigh the cons of such a complex character, the reality is that he was sent off with City trailing 1-0. Had he not needlessly fouled Bacary Sagna, they would still have been eight points behind United.
Rather there should be a focus on each of the five away setbacks and the reasons behind them.
It was a loss of discipline - from Gael Clichy, rather than Balotelli - that was the pivotal moment in December's reverse at Chelsea. It is easiest to exonerate City from blame for the New Year's Day defeat at Sunderland, when they created a host of chances before the offside Ji Dong-won's winner. Such games can happen.
At Goodison Park later that month, they encountered an Everton side relishing their status as underdogs, working heroically hard and defending magnificently. The performance at Swansea City was probably the poorest of the campaign, compounded by Roberto Mancini's strange selection - why did Sergio Aguero start on the bench? And at Arsenal, they looked a tired team, hoping to hang on for the draw rather than looking to overcome their resurgent opponents.
Piece together the evidence of those five games and wider conclusions can be drawn. City failed to score four times and have only struck five times in nine away games. Previously prolific on the road, the goals have dried up while their early-season boldness has disappeared and opponents have displayed a greater determination to frustrate the title favourites.
City's creative difficulties have been epitomised by the differing fortunes of David Silva. The Spaniard has not scored a league goal in 2012 or recorded an assist since January. After 49 appearances for club and country, he looks tired.
But others have produced deteriorating displays, Gareth Barry and Edin Dzeko in particular. Collectively, City are a side who peaked in autumn whereas United have been at their finest at the business end of the season. Managers often mirror their teams, and that is true here: Sir Alex Ferguson has displayed a surer touch than Mancini, whose decision-making was almost flawless a few months ago.
Without the Silva service to his strikers, the Italian has struggled to establish a suitable supply line.
With an unreliable target man, in Dzeko, the aerial option is less compelling. When City rely on their full-backs for width, as they often do, it results in midfielders and attackers converging on a narrow area, trying to thread passes through a crowded penalty box.
At his best, Silva is a master at it. When he is below par, the need for an out-and-out winger is more apparent. Adam Johnson, the only man who fits that description at the club, is underused, especially away from home. Next season, either the Englishman should be trusted or a player prepared to hug the touchline should be recruited.
Silva's workload is significant, too. Mancini became too reliant on the spine of Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, the Spaniard and Aguero, a dependence that, in the case of the captain and the top scorer, was enforced somewhat. For different reasons, City have been effectively reduced to three central defenders and centre forwards: Stefan Savic is not ready for Premier League football while Carlos Tevez has not been in the same continent for much of the campaign.
In his starting XI, Mancini may have more quality. In his squad, Ferguson has the advantage of quantity. If they seem fresher now, it is because many have not been needed to graft week in, week out since August.
And while City's own shortcomings merit scrutiny, in the list of factors why they will not end a 44-year wait for a title, the biggest is United, whose competitive juices were stirred by their neighbours and who have embarked on a magnificent run. Ranking second, however, is the Old Trafford alumnus who scored decisive goals in past title races but who downed tools this time.
Whether or not City and Balotelli endured a very public, painful and permanent break-up at the Emirates Stadium, the temperamental striker who played a greater part in preserving United's hegemony is their old employee. While many of his teammates deserve credit for their unstinting efforts and considerable achievements, Tevez has helped ensure City have not been United this season.
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