Admittedly, it is at times sickening to be a Manchester United fan. There are times when i wonder as to why it had to be United that captured my heart. The good news for United fans though is that the club we love to support always provides us with that antidote to cure our sickness.
Red Mancunians have always had a popular adage that states that
Manchester United like to do things the hard way.
Such is the agony and ecstacy of being a Manchester United fan.
The club made it to its first European Cup final in 1968 under the leadership of Sir Matt Busby. Such was the strength of the United side then that many fans expected them to run-over their opponents Benfica. The Red-Devils unceremoniously had other things in mind. The great Portuguese Eusebio equalised to send the game into extra time. United, inspired by Bobby Charlton, Padddy Crerand, and George Best went on to score three times in extra-time to lift Britain's first European Cup. That dramatic performance perhaps set the tone for many decades to follow because United were gradually becoming late-show performers. From last minute-winners in the league to Hollywood-like finishes in the European Cup-United just never knew when they were beaten. The 1998-1999 season is probably still regarded as Manchester United's finest ever season because of the come-back nature of almost every game we played in. The Champions League Final show probably comes to many people's minds but how about the FA Cup games against Liverpool and that Semi-final against Arsenal when Ryan Giggs scored THE GOAL! Many also forget that we secured the league title on the final day of the season because Arsenal were threatening to do the impossible-defend the league....
So in the space of 2-weeks, we had to win back our league, win the FA Cup, and of course make that small matter of a journey to Barcelona.
After cursing United's luck in each of those competitions, fans all over shed tears of joy. Why? BECAUSE IT WAS SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE! It has taken Manchester United 9 years to produce a season that can be compared to the 1999 success. Last season Manchester United dramatically won their 17th league title and finally re-claimed the title KINGS OF EUROPE.
Truth be told that they would have won the FA Cup as well but for dubious refereeing and bad-luck.(it was simply Portsmouth's year). Nonetheless United went on to capture a league and domestic double that any team on the planet would be jealous of. Unfortunately, United had to do it the traditional HARD-WAY. Manchester United started the 2007/2008 campaign in the most shocking fashion. United failed to score against the now-relegated Reading at home on the opening day of the season. This meant that right from the start of the campaign, we were playing catch-up as our title rivals were cruising. As if that wasn't bad enough, Portsmouth held us to a draw in our second-game-with the then important Christiano Ronaldo being sent off by Steve Bennet. Two games played, and United were already 4 points behind(needless to add that i personally wrote them off, and anybody who knows how many points Mourinho drops in a season will back me) So surely it can't any worse-we thought...
United headed into Derby-day with the "BITTERS" still looking for their first win of the season. As if to mock our lack of appreciation for the draws we were getting, City beat us. Just to clarify the situation more, United went into their fourth game of the season against Spurs 19TH IN THE LEAGUE STANDINGS. By this time many a United faithful would have taken a third place finish in the league come May. (somewhere in-between, Coventry-City knocked us out of the Carling Cup). It was really beginning to look all bleak because even when we started winning, the team that is also known for its attacking play could not see beyond one goal against Spurs, Sporting Lisbon, Birmingham........(the list is embarrassing). Rather surprisingly United went on a winning run that surprised we pessimists. United went on to win even the games we would have forgiven them for losing. Fast-forward to April and United are in their customary position of winning the title.(so why the misery at the start of the season) Unfortunately for all those with heart problems, the script was not yet completed. United led Chelsea by 5 points with 5 games left, but a draw at the Riverside hauled Chelsea back in the race and yet we still had to go to the Bridge. Brad Friedel put on his usual award winning performance when we visited Blackburn and it took a last-gasp Carlos Tevez goal to keep United just above Chelsea-but only just. Michael Ballack did the damage at the Bridge to make it a nervy finish. Victories against West Ham and Wigan did eventually keep the League title at Old Trafford for yet another summer. (but how many still had their shirts on when Ferdinand appeared to handle in the area against Wigan on the final day of the season). This title was even sweeter than the previous according to Edwin van der Saar.
And then there was the small matter of a Champions League title to be won in the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster. When Wes Brown crossed for Ronaldo to score against Sporting Lisbon back in September, little did we know that it was the same combination that would get us the goal in the Champions League final. How about Paul Scholes getting us the goal to take us to Moscow after missing the '99 Hollywood Show. Who would have predicted that we start the season by beating Chelsea in the Community Shield on penalties and end the season by beating them in the Champions League Final on penalties. What about Nicholas Anelka scoring the winner against United for Bolton in November and then missing the penalty for Chelsea that hands United the European Cup. And then Ryan Giggs? He scores the goal that wins United the League title to make him Britain's most decorated player....breaking the appearances record for United held by Bobby Charlton in the Champions League final..... SO WHO WRITES SUCH A DRAMATIC, ENTHRALLING, HEART-STOPPING, SCRIPT?Labels: MANCHESTER UNITED