It could have been any player who scored that injury-time winner against Aston Villa, it still would have the moment of the season for a lot of us. The fact that he was a 17-year-old making his debut just added to it. It was bloody brilliant!
Rio Ferdinand was out injured that day so watched the game from the stands, sharing in the emotions the fans felt that day.
“That was a massive, massive goal and an unbelievable moment,” said Rio. “I was going bananas in the stands! You went through all the emotions in that game. At one point they looked like they could score more goals, then we looked like doing the same. Ronny got us back into it and then Macheda came out of nowhere to smash home the winner. The way that game finished just typified the Manchester United spirit – we never ever give up.”
Ferdinand also recognised the contribution, acknowledging that without us the club wouldn’t survive.
“Their support is so important,” he continued. “They travel far and wide and spend a lot of money watching us, and for a lot of them it’s what they live for. We’re very appreciative and it’s only right we say thank you because without them the club wouldn’t survive. And it really is a genuine thank you. The fans support us home and away in all conditions and sing their hearts out which is always great for us to hear.”
Best moment of the season.I remember going through the roof.Nice of Rio to acknowledge the fans.Especially after their Rome bitter trip.
Can u deliver shirts to thailand or singapore???
Manchester United captain material
I was there! My first visit and match watched at OT
That day was the best of the season. Old trafford erupted.
The fans who follow United to the away matches are truly amazing!
That goal was the key to retaining the EPL title. The kid took it brilliantly. I think that that one moment showed him to have the right stuff – and his subsequent appearances did nothing to undermine that belief.
Kiko Macheda is like Rooney – a man’s body and mature footballing intelligence. I’m not sure if he has more innate skill/speed than Danny Welbeck but he seems to have more drive and a better appreciation of the game around him. I’d be astonished if Kiko doesn’t become a part-timer next year and a full-timer in two/three years’ time.
possibly my favourite bit of the season, it felt like the stretford end was going to buckle under the pressure of everyone jumping around… virtually gave us our 18th title. loved it
what a moment to score that goal, fucking unbelievable. as Fergie said these moments give fans cardiac arrests. but i don’t bloody mind it.
I was running around,screaming like a maniac,saying,”I love you,Kiko,I really do.”.And then once more after the Sunderland game.
Lots of local names on here I see, “I was there. My first visit…..” Pathetic! Firstly Ashley Young was fouled in the build-up to that goal, and secondly the 5 mins came from where exactly? Yeah you scored in the third min but pyschologically 5 mins is a dent to the away team and an incentive to the home team. 3 mins meant MANURE would have rushed their play more and resulted in a draw. But then it was Mike Riley…..I was shocked that he didn’t give you a pen.
It took Milner about 3 mins to get off the pitch pal when he was subbed.
Pretty sure this is a very old Rio interview but I’m not 100%…Looks like you’re trailing everyone else here Scott if I’m right, make your mind up mate.
villa Brian – Local? Yeah not heard that one before you racist cunt. How bitter are you. Perhaps you and your manager should concentrate on your own team. Ever heard the saying don’t put all your eggs in one basket?
Like Stephen said it took Milner 3 minutes to leave the pitch, get over it. Ashley Young is a cheat mate, they say Ronnie dives, he ain’t got nothing on your winger.
Ps – Check how many penalties have been awarded at Old Trafford this season Brian. It is a myth pal.
How was that racist King Eric you dopey twat. It was a legitimate observation about your glory hunting bandwagon that don’t know their Newton Heath from their Man U Red Sox!! All you have to do is listen to the daytrippers being interviewed outside OT to come to the ‘local’ conclusion. It is why your support couldn’t be heard in Rome and were easily outsung by barca!! That fan who commented on your wonderful support is delusional. Incidentially, will you be singing ‘argentina, Argentina’ now Tevez has gone to citeh???? Ha ha.
villa-brian, yeah because those interviewed by the press are a perfect cross-reference of our support….or it is a deliberate attempt by Sky Sports to represent an eclectic range of views, muppet.
where in the fuck are all these people coming from? On NFL blogs people just stick to thier own teams. I guess U.S. is a larger country, but come on!
“The way that game finished just typified the Manchester United spirit – we never ever give up.” I would like to hear what the players have to say about giving up in the Champions League Finals. 10 minutes and game over? Has anyone asked the players about a lack of fight? I’m still wondering about this…
uniteds away fans r brilliant but i have to admit my anoyance at the majority of the home fans who sit there muching prawn sandwiches rather than singin or shoutin, it frustrates me hearin them scousers out shout us in the away stands…..
My comment is for Villa Brian. My first game of football that I went to was Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa in a Div 3 game. Villa were top and Brighton second. It was in 1972 and Brighon won 1 – 0. I went because my younger brother was a Villa supporter and Brighton was close to were we lived (Slinfold) I suppored Man United prior to this game and have continued to do so since even during the lean years and derision of relegation in 1974. No i don’t come from Manchester nor does my Brother come from Birmingham. I would like to think that neither my brother or I are fair weather supporters or glory hunters. We all pick up teams for various reasons, some because the team is successful (Liverpool have lots of supporters that don’t live in Liverpool due to success during late 70’s and 80’s) and no doubt if Villa had a successful run they would pick up supporters outside of Birmingham (my brother apart). Where you live shouldn’t preclude you from supporting a team, we all have different reasons why we chose one over another. Stop bleating on about United getting luck and decisions all the time as facts prove you wrong. (take your reference to penalties, check the records and see exactly how many are actualy given at OT to United then cross-reference with other teams and see if there is any correlation to your conspiracy theory) I suggest that you read, digest and think about this quote by a famous golfer “the more i parctice, the luckier i get!” may be its because Fergie put on extra forwards instead of playing out for a draw (ie Benitez) is the reason we win so many games late on.
Good argument Billabong Bob, well put. I do understand some people have a good as claim to support their team for the reasons you state, and those who do follow thier team regardless of location are somewhat vindicated. It is those that just don a ’sky 4′ top for no other reason than succumbing to the media’s propaganda that gets my goat. You see, for me and many others, football fans are unique for the tribal nature that it inherently fosters. You identify with your team and therefore your town or city. Villa-United football arguments could quite easily turn into Birmingham-Manchester debates (you win the football debate but not the city one – we are more than twice your size in that one!! See, I couldn’t help it!!) Therefore, I will never understand a brummie lad, who has never been outside the West Midlands, quite happily shouting ‘Manchester, la la la’ for as long as I live. Unfortunately for the genuine Man U fans, it is the globalised cartel that are contributing to your loss of identity and impacting so negatively on supporters of other English clubs outside of the ‘Sky 4′. I think even the most ardent of Man U supporter must sometimes grieve at the theft of ‘their’ club – see FC United as evidence of that!
villa brian – i’m 21 years old from india …i have been supporting united for the last ten years . watched roughly 95% games in that period . i stay up until 3-4 a.m at times to watch us play championship teams in the carling cup . tell me , is it my fault i wasn’t born in manchester ? or that i wasn’t born in the 70’s or early 80’s to show how much i truly love my club ?!!
what is your argument based on mate ? are you jealous that villa have no global fanbase like united ? (which adversely affects their revenue)
p.s.- this article was for united fans to reminisce about a glorious late winner which proved to be the catalyst in our title defense . why did you have to sour this ?..such behavior is expected of scousers n those deluded blue bastards from the wastelands . villa are a respectable club and i hope they do well next season . peace .
oh and i do no about newton heath…and i do know my billy merediths and brian kidds
Clam down Anant. My point is to domestic (e.g English) fans who support Man U just cos they’re successful. I appreciate and indeed embrace the global nature of the Premier League. Foreign fans are the reason our league has grown so huge and I appreciate that. Unfortunatley for you Anant, it is hard for you living in India to appreciate the tribal, fiercly localised nature of football in this country. I don’t have an issue someone from India supporting Man U (indeed that is what I expect) but I cannot understand anyone from Surrey with no connection to Man U or indeed Manchester the place from supporting them. Football in this country is all about local identity…..or at least it once was. Maybe I am lamenting and romanticising too much, but for me that is why football is like no other sport. It is a lifestyle. And like I said before, that ‘winner’ you talk of shouldn’t have even existed for the reasons stated previously.
brian – if that indeed is your point then i suppose i wouldn’t be the best person to argue with that. i still see some people (like cockney reds) having an issue with your stance , but i’ll leave it to them to carry on this conversation .
about your point that there aren’t nearly enough united fans in manchester – scott had written an article sometime back ..
http://therepublikofmancunia.com/manchester-is-red-even-city-fans-agree/
which brings me to your statement that you expect to find united fans in india . yes there are plenty of us . but our population is slowly dwindling . the arrival of abrahamovic brought with it thousands of converts (who jumped ship – united to chelsea . them i truly despise) . there are legions of arsenal and liverpool fans as well . but most disconcerting is this new section of ‘holier than thou’ la liga fans (and they’re growing by the minute) .
finally – kiko’s goal against villa – it was brilliant . please allow us to marvel the quality , timing and scorer of the goal that was so vital to us . i need to see the ashley young incident again . but since the result didnt have a massive impact on your season, please let it go..referees are human and make mistakes . over the course of a season their decisions even out (unless its in a cup final or knock out tie!)
villa_brian, i guess that was the goal that killed your dreams of a top 4 finish. why did you not comment about the fact that milner wasted time while walking off the pitch? you think that does not count? you are kidding me. the added time in a football match is the discretion of the referee.
i am sure you will not have any issue with the 5 mins if we did not score that goal.
Stop exaggerating about Milner. Your perception and the reality do not match. Just before ‘Kiko’ as you call him received the ball, Ashley Young was taken from behind, I can’t recall by whom (probably the cheat Vidic). But then Mike ‘the red’ Riley just waved play on and it has been completely forgotten about because the injustice was ours and not yours.
And Anant, if you think i’m gonna read an article from this publication spouting about more ‘Man U fans in Manchester even City agree’ than you must not understand the words ‘objective’, ‘bias’ and ‘propaganda’. I don’t even need to read it to be able to predict it’s full of made up statistics and bloated opinion.
brian – open it . you’ll be surprised . there are links to other sites , with actual facts and figures quoted . you’re talking about bias and propaganda ? i think its people like yourself (no offense) who are biased by the media propaganda making you believe manchester is blue . i wouldn’t know , but i trust the sources scott used .
I can only go on what I hear at Old Trafford and Eastlands. Old Trafford is a complete mixed bag on accents, Eastlands is always Manc accents. That is my own personal ‘research’, and it is about as scientific as the ‘research’ in the article your refer to, i’m sure!
no complaints . its your choice what you want to believe .
but old trafford is bound have mixed accents . due to the fact that our fanbase is a gazzilion times bigger than city , you are definitely going to get people from all over england (and the world) , like myself (at some point of time, hopefully), paying over the odds to watch their favorite team play .
day-trippers , if you like . this is further compounded by the glazers hiking up prices and forcing the working class of manchester to watch from their television sets .
sadly , this is not the scenario at citeh .
anyway , i think its immaterial where your fans come from in this day and age . the fact is – the premier league and its clubs are not only about football , they are now global brand names . just ask man city’s arab sheikhs .