In the summer of 2006 Manchester United were written off. Chelsea had just won the league with ease and added one of the best players in the world for each position to their squad. Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko joined them, whilst in contrast we sold our top scorer, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and didn’t replace him, and brought in Michael Carrick, who was hardly the midfield general the fans had been hoping for.
2006/2007 turned out to be a brilliant season for United though, with us winning the league, reaching the Champions League semi-finals and FA Cup final. It wasn’t just our success of that season though, winning our first title since 2003, but the individual moments and games along the way. What a season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
In Solskjaer’s second game of the 2006/2007 season, he scored an injury time goal against Charlton. He had played in just three league games the season before, one in December, one in April and one in May. He didn’t play at all during the season before that. Time and again it looked as though his playing career was over, yet here he was scoring goals for us again.
His best moment of the same came against Aston Villa in the Cup. After we took the lead, they pulled a goal back with 15 minutes to go. With a replay hanging over us, up popped Solskjaer to score the winner in injury time.
He went on to score 11 goals for us that season, playing in 32 games, scoring in the league, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup. We’d loved Solskjaer for years but after having to contemplate the strong possibility we had seen him play for us for the last time, we appreciated him all the more that season. It was brilliant to have him back.
O’Shea’s winner at Anfield
We had been up against it at Anfield and following Wayne Rooney’s substitution with injury and Paul Scholes’ sending off, we were probably happy to settle for a point.
Cristiano Ronaldo got in a powerful freekick which Pepe Reina couldn’t hold on to, so John O’Shea, of all people, slotted it in to the roof of the net. It’s that look of surprise and disbelief on his face, the expression we often saw after an O’Shea goal, which gets me every time. I also like that as he runs towards the away fans he looks over his right shoulder, only to find no one there, so settles for Rio Ferdinand on his left.
The celebrations that came at the final whistle were amazing. Not just an injury time winner in front of the Kop, but a goal that made us really start to believe we were going to win the title again, our first in four years.
“I would have trouble explaining how we lost that in Spanish,” said Benitez after the final whistle. “In English I find it almost impossible.”
Beating the Italians
Having struggled to leave our mark on Europe since the 1999 Champions League win, I wasn’t too ambitious over our chances this season. We didn’t even make it out of the group the season before so when we lost 2-1 against Roma in the quarter-finals first leg I was fairly happy with the result. I was desperate for us to get that away goal to put us in a stronger position for the Old Trafford game and Rooney duly obliged.
Six days later they came to Manchester and there was plenty of atmosphere outside the ground ahead of kick-off, following the behaviour of their fans and police from the away game.
Any tension quickly faded away when with less than 20 minutes played we were 3-0 up. It was incredible. Michael Carrick scored a cracker, Ronaldo grabbed a couple, christ, even Alan Smith and Patrice Evra got in on the action! 7-1? It was nuts. You don’t get to see scorelines like that too often, even as a United fan, but especially not in Europe. It was brilliant.
A fortnight later AC Milan made the trip to Manchester but this didn’t start as well as our last meeting with Italians. Kaka, the best player in the world that year, took the piss out of our defence and despite an early Ronaldo goal, we went in 2-1 down at half-time. Rooney made it 2-2 and Milan took off Gattuso. Then, in injury time, a clever pass from Giggs found Rooney and he hit it first time, taking Dida by surprise at his near post and putting us 3-2 up. He didn’t know what to do with himself as he ran away in celebration, in the end just burying his face in the pitch, seemingly overwhelmed by what he has just done.
We didn’t stand a chance in the second leg, with three of our four first choice defenders missing, which was disappointing, but I couldn’t help but feel like we had overachieved in Europe already that year. Milan rested their players in their preceding league fixture with them out of the title race months before, something United couldn’t afford to do, and were worthy winners. But that doesn’t take away from how amazing it felt when Rooney put away the winner at Old Trafford.
Rooney and Ronaldo
We were told in the summer that Ronaldo’s United career was over after a game in the World Cup between England and Portugal saw Wayne Rooney sent off. The press blamed the sending off on Ronaldo because he was one of five Portugal players complaining to the referee about a supposed stamp by Rooney.
Ronaldo’s home was vandalised and it looked as though he would be off, not fancying the hassle that was about to come his way. Sir Alex Ferguson talked him round though and it was confirmed he was staying. We knew this lad had the potential to be special, with his goal tally increasing every season, so it was great news that he was staying.
The first game of the season saw us batter Fulham 5-1 with Ronaldo and Rooney linking up time and again. The two brightest young talents in the league weren’t at war, as the press would have had us believe, and that opening day was all the proof we needed of that.
Vassell’s penalty miss
If we beat City, Chelsea had to beat Arsenal the following day to deny us from winning the league. Ronaldo’s first half penalty put us 1-0 up but we looked knackered. Three days earlier the lads had been in Milan getting thrashed and didn’t those bitter blue bastards enjoy rubbing that one in.
Ten minutes from time, it looked as though City were going to delay our title win, after Wes Brown gave away a penalty. The City fans were wild with excitement, eyes bulging and mouths frothing.
Fortunately, Darius Vassell was on penalty taking duties, and blasted the ball centrally at Van der Sar’s legs. The relief felt was amazing and was only bettered by getting to give all that shit back to the City fans.
“We won the football league again, inside the council house,” we sang as we left the ground. Mourinho’s £9m defender, Boulharouz, got sent off the next day in their game against Arsenal and they drew. United were champions.
4-2 at Goodison Park
With just half an hour left to play against Everton, we were 2-0 down. After topping the table all season, surely we weren’t going to throw it away now? Our remaining fixtures were City and Chelsea away before West Ham, who denied us the title in 1995, at home.
We had to win this one, but we were losing and Chelsea were beating Bolton. After a gruelling game against Milan just four days before you wondered whether we would have the legs for this one.
O’Shea got a goal back for us before Phil Neville scored an own goal to level the score. Once a red, always a red, and all that. With ten minutes left to go, some excellent control before a lovely finish from Rooney put us 3-2 up. It was unbelievable. Fergie ran to the touchline, “2-2″ he signalled with his fingers, letting the lads know that the Chelsea game had finished.
Just to add insult to injury, United youngster Chris Eagles popped up with one of our goals of the season, curling the ball perfectly in to the bottom corner.
Of course the City win was massive but it was on this day that it felt that the title was ours. Not so long ago it felt as if Mourinho and Abramovich were going to dominate our league for years to come, yet here we were, one hand on the trophy, ready to be Champions again. This was typical United, making things difficult for themselves, having you on the edge of your seat, before going out and getting the job done. One of my favourite football days ever and certainly the highlight of 2006/2007 for me.
Man Utd News 24/7
That season was quality, everyone expected us to buckle but once we went top nobody could shift us!!!
Simply Magic that everton game…aaah…the memories..I was jumping like nuts and broke a table in the excitement that day…My little brother thought i had gone mental
amazing stuff
Nice memories indeed. It should be a spur for the rest of this season and beyond.
Am I the only one who looks at Ole and I see SAF’s successor waiting to take the United legacy forward?
Bloody brilliant videos, that O’Shea winner was just pure magic coming in at the kopshite end…I do miss the mere sight of Ole, hopefully for not too long
Top quality Scott the Red! You are an excellent writer, well-read and well Red!
Thanks for all your efforts, your product has become our home.
Can’t get over that O’Shea video, the player celebrations at the end, RedNev & VDS…. Pure quality..
Red Devil – How are you my good friend?
Posted on the other thread but that season in the second half we had to play cit-eh, spurs, l’arse, vermin, chelski and everton all away from home and we only dropped 5 points, 2 of which was a dead rubber fixture anyway (chelski) and one which was a fluky last minute winner from Henry (i mean he scored with his head for fucks sake) Thats pretty impressive considering many predicted us to finish 3rd or 4th. The seeds were sewn in the early on in the calendar year of 2006, we knew what was coming but nobody else did.
Still at uni at the time I was telling everyone that P Nev would score an own goal a month before we played them and when he did I danced what can only be described as a ridiculous jig on the pub table, mates surrounding me stopping the landlord from getting to me!!! Ahh good times!!
The day we won the title I remember as my mate and I downed 9 sambuca shots (1 for each PL title we had witnessed) him saying
” I really thought it was going to be another 26 years.”
Sweet as they come.
Thank You STR.
Walter ,meow meowww,mew,mow.
I was in the room of a Liverpool supporter when Oshea’s goal went in…10 seconds later I was thrown out, funny how some of UTD’s goals get you into all sorts of trouble…lol
Still got the review of this season on dvd. Took it with me to school and whenever i watch it, my friends go on about how i should forget about the past and focus on the present/future. But they have no idea how much of an emotional ride it was and i can’t stop reliving the moments enough. It was like every emotion blended into that period. When we lost away to pompey, i was scared that we may not be able to nick it but boy was i proved wrong! And i absolutely loved it! Tried explaining to them but they just brush me aside. Ain’t got a problem with them though. Still wouldn’t stop me reliving it every now and then. I love this team
hello mate,it was a brillant season,our return to the top form after mourinho win 2 title,and also great european match against roma and milan at home,ronaldo and rooney at time was devloping into world class player,the emergence of vidic evra carick,a great team with carlos quiroz as assistant to fergie,i would love fergie bring him back,he will be the best transfer of the season,off topic it seems that we are in for c palase right back,how good is he?
Clayton Blackmore says “The worst scenario is for us to lose and City to win against Tottenham. Then they pull away a little bit and the job becomes a little bit harder. But everybody knows there will be points dropped by both teams, and Spurs as well.”
“The next month or two is big though. If United are still up there, three points behind or so, they have a very good chance. The next month or two, with the weather and the start of the European games again is going to be vital. Manchester City still have a Carling Cup game against Liverpool next week, which won’t be easy, although they are out of the FA Cup, so that is one less competition, which will help them in the league.”
that was also the season we got henrik larsson on a shock loan deal!
lebmanc i need to talk to u on msn
I believe some players lack the passion these days and are only playing for the money instead of the shirt which has given them such stardom. Players like Ronaldo, Ole Gunnar, G.Nev amongst others are sorely missed, and to be honest, their replacements are may be not yet born, tough we usually hear a “new ronaldo” “new messi” and things like that, but these players have their own class. Like for example, going some more years back, the partnership Beckham-Van Nistelrooy, where the former’s cross was mostly for the latter, and goal it would be 90% of the times. Nowadays we no longer have players who can really do this, Valencia is powerful and has good crossing abilities, but sometimes he’s not concentrated enough, while Nani seems to opt for the individualism at times while he does have teammates in better positions, however, he too has the profile to assist his strikers, just that he wants to score as well to get his name in the limelight, but both men are currently our top assist leaders with 7 each, and Nani had double figures at the end of last season. As for G.Nev, Fabio and Rafael still lack the exp to take his place, he was and is a red till he dies. The passion may still be there among the players, but it would need something big to ignite it and get the team kicking asses again.
To be sent out of CL by a Swiss team and losing some more games in the EPL to supposedly weak sides this season does show however that there’s still something wrong in the squad and which needs to be “solved” quickly
Guys don’t forget we signed Hernik Larsson! Even if it was on a two month loan, he was important in Saha’s absence!
Wow, that o’shea video is amazing!!
Cedars
I’m fine mate…Hope you’re doing good as well….
Hope the nurse is doing her job well
Iced earth- Don’t know the player you’re talking about but trust me, before the papers get wind of a player we’re after, he’s already being presented on mutv!! Pay lil attention to transfer speculation…. Will certainly save you the trouble of player ability enquiry
Jord mancunian
I can’t right now
Red Devil
The nurse is long gone pal, happy in a way that I have recovered but I do miss her! haha
Lebomanc
How are you today? That O’Shea goal and the celebrations at the end will forever live in my memory, what a great day that was
Cedars
We all miss her!!
What a season..
We was a little short of becoming Treble winners again..
I would like to point out that If Milan had been in their title race im sure we would have knocked them out..
they have the luxury of resting their team on the weekends and resting Kaka as well..
I still fully believe Ronaldo should have won the Ballon d’or that year..
Kaka played amazing in the Champions League..
Ronaldo played amazing in the premier league, Fa cup and champions league..
===
would have loved to beat the dippers in the final of the champions league that year..
but we won it the next year.. so heres to that!
COME ON UNITED!!
Take a look at this
And check what Barton said about united fans…
http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2012/01/19/2854227/manchester-uniteds-wayne-rooney-labels-real-madrids-pepe-an
Cedarsdevil
Am fine, how are you?
Ya glad you like it… Just saw the video for the first time and loved it
Lebomanc
I read about those tweets from Barton from the other thread….. Just ignore him, he is a scouser that played for the bitters! What else can you expect? Just looking for a reaction, he hates us with a passion…
Red Devil
Hahaha, I am sure you do buddy…… As true as most of those shares were I miss them too
This is a beautiful post STR, bang on trend- we really have been witness to dreamland on so many occasions.
Here’s the flipside, Barcelona in training…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TTqQ1ULUPE&feature=share
Also, that Clayton Blackmore quote, superb, the man is a fucking legend- he made Stuart Pearce’s shorts look baggy.
ClaytonBlackmoresTan
That video was bloody hilarious and not far off the mark either……Cracked me up
Claytonblackemorestan
Agree with cedars… Hilarious video!!
JUST GO ON FREAKING MSN!!! ITS URGENT
All right I’m on msn, now what?
XD im talking to lebomanc dude
I was struck by how scrawny Ronado looks in the OShea video. Just a young lad – thin as a stick. He truly went from a boy to a beast of a man at United. You see him now, he can’t be muscled off the ball, strong as an ox – looks like a fucking freak of nature, total one-off. Credit to him – worked his butt off, and youngsters would do well to learn from him that talent alone isn’t good enough.
jord mancuinian
Err….This is a United blog pal not some sort of a messaging service. Bore off and find other ways to get in touch
Remember ding-bats? A wooden paddle and a rubber ball, connected by a short elastic.
Watching someone play was hardly riveting stuff. Boing, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing,
boing, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing, boing.
Back ‘n forth, to and fro, back ‘n forth, to and fro, back ‘n forth, to and fro, back ‘n forth.
I fucking hate watching Barcelona, they’re as boring as ding-bats.
As good as that season was, the feeling in Sinclairs that Bank Holiday weekend in 1993 after we beat Blackburn and Villas challenge had gone, meaning we’d won the title will never be surpassed for me.
smartalex
I am currently on Skype, care for an online kiss darling? Its quite URGENT
This article is pretty amazing !
loved it <3
“Just don’t ask me which is which because I never have a flipping clue!”
- Paul Scholes on the Da Silva twins.
hahahaha LOOL
Got a sneak peak at this thread last night? Yeah, I sold my soul and joined…….
Memories! Big John’s winner at the kop end! Thrashing the Romans 7 1! Ouch, btw.
The comeback win at Goodison! My abiding memory of that game was Eagles near falling over before he scored lol. Must of got excited!
That season was memorable for lots of reasons. Written off by every cunt. The Rooney/Ronaldo episode at the WC. Got overplayed by the media. Who sensed they could cause a rift between the 2 players. Never happened. Both lads came back and played a blinders for United. What a partnership, eh? Great season, great memories….
Mourinho are you listening! You better keep the trophy glistening! We’ll be back in May, to take it away, walking in a Fergie wonderland!
Totally agreed !!! Unbelievable season!
The season i got used to adoring football and the club again. From this very season i started to watch foortball frequently again after years of nonstop drinking culture. Bought the home kit without any name on it while being to Bulgaria’s sea resort during the summer.
CedarsDevil
I can’t discuss that here. not openly anyway, give me your ear.
You know the thing? That other thing, not the one we spoke about before. The thing with the guy, you know? The guy with the thing that’s not the other thing. There’s sweet news! Glorious, wonderful, earth-shattering news! He doesn’t have the thing anymore.
Forgive my muffled tone, for I must whisper sweet nothings in your ear.
This was the first year i started watching United and there is always this feeling towards the first season that cant be compared,and they didnt let us down did they?
I still love 06/07 more than 07/08 even though won the champions league that season, was really sad to see the last of Solkjear but really excited to see the begining of Rooney and Ronaldo, amazing times overall, the goal that comes to mind when i think about this season was Giggsy freekick against Lille.
WillieRedNut – good day! Especially know that your sun shines upon us!
What did you join?
Oh no! Not ‘know’, but ‘now’ – typo ^
…bit random. Feels a bit recent to be reminiscing about, does it?
You didn’t mention the song of that season….
Mourinho… Are you listening,
You’d better keep our trophy glistening,
Coz we’ll be back in May,
To take it away.
Walking in a Fergie Wonderland.
So Drinkwater signed for Leceister City.
good luck to the lad.
smartalex – PFJ mate! Twitter lol. My mate was bugging me to sign up. So I did!
@Mugsy
I mentioned that song pal.
People’s Front of Judea? Out heathen! The Judean People’s Front rule!
Oh no
Willie on twitter? That is the end of me here for a few hours…… Disturbing news I need to take down and think about….
So what’s it all about, WillieRedNut? What can you now do?
^ not at PFJ, on twitter!
who the fuck are warrior sports??? gotta laugh at the dippers dogleash saying it shows we are sill a big deal fucking splinter faced tosser is as deluded as that lot adiddas couldnt wait to get fucking rid of em!!
xavi better than scholes?!barton is a joke,if xavi was playing in epl,no one will site his name,la liga is such easy league,xavi is overrated,in 2008 semi final agains barca carick and scholes outclass him,the newcamp game make me feel that scholes is the best of all time,at his best no one can match him,maybe zidane can be at his level,but i can see anyone else,maybe scholes lost his legs now at 37,but to compare xavi now to scholes when he was a bit younger,is like to compare city to united,scholes is the master
Cedars smartalex
Don’t worry lads, I’ll probably be the first in the history of twitter to get a life ban! Still the same old me lol. You can follow anyone you like smartalex. It all depends on your preferences. Send direct messages to your close friends. Any advice I would give, is follow people who are active. Be it footballers, or any other sports. I’m still finding my way like lol. It’s gonna be like marmite. You’ll either love it, or hate it!
i still remember eagles scream of delight on scoring!even on tv i could hear it quite clearly!amazing moment!
A just-about decipherable tweet from Ravel:
Who ever keeps sayin don’t move to m.city , m.city have never ones been in my mind and who every tells you I’m movin to the ignore them
The first bit obviously distancing himself from a City move. But can’t decipher the second bit! Without the ‘to’, I would parse it as ‘whoever tells you I’m moving, ignore them’. Hope that is what he means…
The agent of Paul Pogba, Mino Raiola says: “People are saying he’ll leave Manchester United. But he could also renew his contract. We’ll see what happens …”
kanchelskis – I think he means:
who every tells you I’m movin to THERE (ie City), ignore them
Vague comment from Pogba’s agent? I believe the lad would sign a new deal tomorrow with United. My gut instinct tells me, he’s getting steered in a different direction….
The kid obviously wants to declare that he’s never considered leaving, but he MUST wait.
United’s representative’s are talking to his, he must stay out of it. Everyone at United knows he wants to stay and will stay, but they don’t blurt that out either. It’s a process, soon to be completed, without cognisance of the pressure that the media and the fans bring to bear.
@smartalex
Meaning… he’s not moving to City. But he still could be leaving.
^ I was talking about Morrison, but it also applies currently to Welbeck and Pogba.
The Welbeck story seems typical tabloid bollox. Nothing in it. If Danny keeps improving, the big money will arrive. He knows that. Daily bollox stirring it again.
kanchelskis
No not at all.
Unless you consider a person saying they don’t want tea, to mean they want coffee.
But I get your drift. He could have said “I’m not going anywhere”, except he can’t say that.
Soon enough his longer-term deal will have been signed, then he can say he is staying.
Not now.
He want’s to talk, and felt compelled to at least nip-in-the-bud the city rumour, which cuts like a knife right to the depth’s of his Red soul.
The O’Shea video brought a tear to my eye – the joy on their faces, the crowd delight, Fergie’s salute to the crowd – and Ray Wilkin’s bitter, disappointed, begrudging reaction to the goal – bliss!
Great article Scott.
Ah fuck! Am in tears! Great memories! Amazing season! I miss Rooney-Ronaldo combo. I miss O’Shea! I miss Solskjaer! I would love to relive all these again. But, I am sure Fergie will make sure of that!
And it’s not like Ole is not coming back, huh?
More from the twittersphere:
tomclevz23 Tom Cleverley
Had a great week running outside and my foot feeling very good. Shouldn’t be long now!
Redmanwalking
I bet solskjaer will be united’s next manager hopefully!!
I think welbeck is injured … I hope his injury doesnt stay for a long time
O’Shea scores the winner at Anfield and 4 years later is sold due to budget cuts. Ugh.
Anyway, loved your article Scott. Nice to see articles that look back from time to time. All the reasons you mentioned (especially my fave Ole’s comeback) made this season special. And it was the all around football. Fergei reverted back to 4-4-2 and we played some brilliant stuff. And like Giggs has said, it was probably Ronaldo’s best season. 23 goals and as many assists I believe.
I guess that Tom Cleverley has used his hiatus to good effect physically. He has done so well in negating the disadvantage of a small frame, and these next years will see him getting stronger. Perhaps his absence has allowed accelerated progress in that regard. We will see.
Looking at Carrick’s 2 goals against Roma, I’m reminded of his 2 recent goals.
Perhaps he will score more often like that now, when the chances arise.
Ronaldo’s solo goal against fulham was one of the best i’ve ever seen, shows what a brilliant match winner the guy truly is.
Giggs also scored a fantastic volley as wel that simply personifies class.
The 7-1 win was exhilarating. That was the game that truly made ronaldo in terms of being the dominating goal scoring machine force he now is.
I think kanchelskis is trying to be inspector gadget with ravel’s tweet there. “Try to see something that really is not there”
I started following United’s matches in the 2001-2002 season (thats when they started showing EPL matches over here in Pakistan. Before that I’d always pick Man United whenever I’d buy a FIFA Football game, from FIFA 98 haha but I had obviously never watched em play other than FA cup games) so I had only seen us lift one league title thus far. It wasn’t a good time to be a United fan, people in Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle jerseys would make fun of the United supporters saying stuff like “Farig ho gaye ho tum log” (roughly translated “You guys SUCK now” lol) and then this season happened. When we won it, me and all my United supporting friends celebrated like hell and stuck up the middle finger to the jealous Chelsea fans who said they’d win it next year. They obviously didn’t. United were on top again.
What a season, what memories!! The O’Shea winner summed it all up, really. I remember when that goal went in and I went absolutely crazy, all delirious and shit. At that moment I (and I’m sure a hell lot of other people) knew that this season was ours.
Thank you MUFC for making my life better and thank you ROM for posting this around the same time that every blog on the internet and every would be pundit is writing United off including would be United supporters. (bullshit media!! especially that McDonnell guy on MirrorFootball). GGMU <3 \m/
Brilliant article – that was an incredible season. Believe it or not, during the summer, I had a feeling in my waters that it’d be a special season, particularly for Ronaldo. EVerything just seemed eerily similar to Beckham in 1998….the shirt number, the vilification after a World Cup, the support from Fergie. I just had a good feeling.
And right from the opening day, you knew it’d be special. So many sparkling performances in the first 6-7 months. And then, when we were struggling late in the season, particularly in terms of conceding goals….our goalscoring got us over the line with late goals. Everton, Liverpool, Fulham…..3 games which really stand out in terms of late winners.
As for the Champions League….the way I see it is this. The best team always wins the League…but the best team doesn’t always win the Champions League. Coz its a cup competition. The last 4 seasons, the best team HAS won it (us, Barca twice, and Inter)…….but there was a period in the middle of the last decade where the tournament was in danger of being devalued.
You can’t tell me that Liverpool were the best team in Europe in 05, when they weren’t even the best team on Merseyside! (Everton finished 4th remember). The following season, Arsenal finished 4th and almost won the Champions League…and in 07, Milan won it. I’m sorry…but if you’re not competing for your League title, then the Champions League becomes a whole lot easier, coz you can rest your team up.
Teams like us, Barca and Chelsea have consistently managed to juggle title races with the European Cup – these are the teams that get more credit IMO.
That’s what happened in 06/07. Milan started on -10 points coz of the match fixing scandal. They weren’t in their title race, so they were able to rest their players up before facing us. Our squad that season was paper thin, we were pretty much playing the same XI at the weekend and in midweek. That’s what cost us in the end………coz I’m not being biased, but I genuinely believe that we were the best team in Europe that season.
To back my point up even more…..who did AC Milan face in the final? Liverpool. Another team that wasn’t competing for their League, so had the luxury of resting players before big European games. And who did Liverpool beat in the semi finals? Chelsea….who like us, were juggling 3 competitions at once. That aint a coincidence.
Fortunately, that summer Fergie went and bulked up the squad. Nani, Hargreaves, Anderson, Tevez. All had a magnificent impact that season, and allowed Fergie to rotate and freshen his side up before the European matches. In 06/07…our centre mids were Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher and Giggs. A year later, we were able to add Hargreaves and Anderson to that mix, gave us so much depth it was incredible.
We could go into games with a midfield of Nani-Hargreaves-Anderson-Park…….and that wouldn’t even be our first choice midfield!
daniel drinkwater is gone.. gibson gone.. anyone think fergie is freeing up wages for that ‘special’ midfielder?… just saying
Willie joining twitter, me a couple of clicks away form joining Facebook. its all going to rat shit i tell you
Just to add to my last post…I do think Fergie may have made a rare cock up in the second leg of the AC Milan tie! Rio and Vidic were both back from injury for that match…….he left Rio on the bench and played Vidic, who had a nightmare.
That baffled me, coz as far as I remember….Rio had only been out for a couple of weeks, whilst Vidic had been out for longer. On top of that, Rio was a far more natural athlete than Vidic, didn’t need game sunder his belt, he could slot straight back in. Moot point, but I do think that if he’d played Rio instead, we wouldn’t have conceded 3 goals.
Saying that, the rest of our team was a bit shattered too, and Milan were awesome that night.
I would have thought drinkwater would have the chance at united to prove himself but i guess him languishing in the championship for so long probably says it all. Leicester is a good move for drinkwater, good luck.
Come on in slim! The waters fine!
FB is a stretch for me. No way Jose!
also im sure most fans realise why we were so angry with wayne regarding his contract situation.. we were scared of the fact that other players might try and hold the club to ransom to earn themselves some extra cash.. which we have seen from pogba and morrison.. and from danny if its true which i hope its not.. so thankyou wayne.. u arsehole!!!!!! i hope u cheer me up by bagging a hat-trick against the fake barca!!
If I had a dime for every time I broke down into a weeping bumbling wreck that season, I could have lent some money to Bill Gates.
My favorite come-from-behind win was a match in which Aaron Lennon twisted Patrice Evra’s blood and Spurs went ahead nil-2 @Old Trafford but the final score was 5-2. It was a match that featured some BerbaMagic (plucking the ball out of mid-air, over his shoulder) and some high-energy CR7 heroics.
Sadly, Rio’s groin was too tender at the time. Playing him at Milan could have caused him to miss the crucial game against City 3 days later. Vidic was also rusty as hell and Ferguson didn’t have much of a choice. Didn’t help that Heinze had his head up his ass at the time.
@denton
That was 2 seasons later mate.
My favourite come-from-behind win was the Champions League Final of 1999.
Another classic come-from-behind moment: http://www.unitedrant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/mereiles.jpg
Check Ando’s face in Fred’s link! Ha Ha Ha ! !
Since Fred went there, my favorite come from behind moment.
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/9842/fcll77.gif
Nice picture of a frog in an ice-cube, Costas. What’s behind it?
@smartalex
Don’t know about a frog, lol. That looked like Jabba the Hut to me.
A frog in an icecube!
WillieRedNut
aspiring mobile designer/developer. got to connect with the masses on the cyber web. My brother who’s a designer himself dragged me to the computer sat there and said “go on then you fucking mug, sign up”. He definitely has a point, maybe i’ll use an alias. Twitter’s not to bad i guess, less fragmented.
ImageShack mustn’t be working for smartalex. Maybe this one will: http://prikachi.com/files/552255t.gif
How resourceful Fred.
Didn’t realize it might not work for some.
Still recall Phil Nevilles own goal like it was yesterday. Such a strange mix of excitement and horror for our former player. Everton fans had to think the game was fixed at that point. Everton for me was the game we had to win because City and Chelsea were both going to be cup ties with anything posible and away as well. That Roma game was a sweet day to be a red as well.
The greatest moment in United’s history. No words can describe it: http://droidfreeapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/CM7.jpg
Thanks Fred! That one doesn’t work either, so I signed up for Images hack.
That gif is sickening!
Hahaha, the second one was actually meant to be the frog in the icecube. My idea of being drôle.
The one thing that sticks out from that season (and the season after that) – leaders. The team seemed to have more leadership about it then we do now. 2 of the players that were the biggest leaders that season…Rio and Rooney. They’re still around now, but they don’t seem to be “leading” the same way they were. Some of the younger guys will step into that breach over the next few years, and maybe Rooney will return to that state of mind as well.
That’s probably why Giggsy stays on for the full 90 these days even when he’s having a shocker, he’s one of the few leaders on there.
A young Giggsy in full flight: http://image.yaymicro.com/rz_1210x1210/0/16f/red-eyed-tree-frog-sitting-on-ice-cube-16fe24.jpg
Sell Berba sign the frog.
The frog is useless without the ice cube. http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/icecube3.jpg
It would have been a clever jump Fred. Best laid plans of frogs and men …
Kanchelskis, SmartAlex and the rest of your great ROMsters.
Sky is reporting a ROM a bid for Ravel Morrison for 500K and that it is being considered.
Hope this is still silly season stuff but it has been picked up by some sources that don’t often speculate.
Hmm. Hope we get an option and chunk of a sell on if he goes. Love Roma as a club. Interesting.
Enough of this silliness and back on-topic please.
Can’t believe Scott didn’t give a mention to Ronaldo’s winner at Fulham. The goal of the season for me? PAUL SCHOLES at Villa Park. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17uiw_scholesvvilla23122006_sport (It’s not a video of a frog in an ice cube, honest.)
Ice cubes wouldn’t melt in super-cool Paul Scholes’ mouth as he fluidly hammered it home.
The keeper couldn’t have saved it had he frog’s legs and webbed lilly-pad fingers.
FletchTHEMAN – I think the Roma link is nonsense. Ravel stays.
That goal spawned wild celebrations.
How great was it when we had Ronaldo and Rooney? Even that argie twat playing too, that was a special front line we had.
I’m hoping we are on the verge of another great set of players, with Welbeck, Rooney, Hernandez and maybe Pogba and the scally (if they keep their heads on football and off money).
Smartalex, Hope you are right. Why do I/we listen to any of this? Whole month of Jan should be spent on an Island without internet. Come back in Feb with United top of the league.
Speaking of lack of internet: anyone catch Anders Lindegaard web chat.
What would you take to a desert Island: An ipod and my music….. [erm Guess this desert island has electricity?!]
What is your favorite United moment: Waiting in the tunnel to come out for my first EPL game. Dreamed about it all my life. [Ok not bad, but hope we can get you some better ones in the next couple o months]
Seems a top lad.
FletchTHEMAN – We listen because 1 in a hundred times there really is substance.
We are quick to forget the other 99 occasions, preferring to jump up and down saying
“Look, look! I was right to believe it! Told you!”
Yeah the ronnie goal at Craven Cottage was one of my favourite moments. And him running over to the bench but grabbed the Judas Heinze. Scored another similar I believe against Reading. Scholesy goal at Villa Park. Saha on fire at times that season. Great season and one of my favourites.
Costas. Hello mate. Didn’t Ronnie score 32 not 23 that season?
Ha. Yeah can just see Ravel mooching around Rome.
Don’t like those Pogba agent comments. Fuck him. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. May not be as naturally gifted but give me Tunni all day fucking long.
@King Eric
Hi mate. How’s Tom and the wife?
No it was 23 goals for Ronaldo that season. Same amount of goals that Rooney got. That’s why I remember the figure, lol.
just can’t stop watching those Michael Carrick goals against Roma. love them…
Costas. Yes good thanks mate. Ruth miles better now. Tom just refuses to sleep till about one in morning though. I know you will be right but I was sure Ronnie got 32 in all competitions. As I say you will be correct though pal!
one of my biggest highlights of all time spanking Roma 7-1… honestly could not believe what i was seeing… one of those night where everything comes together… we absolutely smashed them… we were on fire! brilliant!
mad to think ole was on the pitch… seems like a lifetime ago… miss him!
great article scott! some great memories from that season.. one of my favourites from 2006/07 is rooney’s goal against bolton..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WywowkFwtSA
oh ronnie, please come back!!!
Even though we won the Champions League the following year I have more fond memories of 06/07. It was all so fresh.
PS) Henke Larsson’s cameo was another highlight for me.
Awesome season that.. I also remember Blackburn at home, we were really struggling.. 1-0 down when Scholes popped up with the most brilliant of equalizers and then we went on to win it 4-1.. magical.