If you could go back in time and have one match replayed

[Annihilate Now!]

Something to pass the time on a International week. Inspired by the TFS... If you could go back in time and have one match replayed (note, that is replayed, not automatically change the result of) what would it be, and why?

As mentioned, this would be replayed - so the idea is that the match would play out different, as if it took place on a Sunday rather then a Saturday, or the ref was different, or if one player who was suspend/injured was available for it as examples - but there the result could still stay the same (i.e if you picked one of the United CL Finals vs. Barca, there is still a high chance we lose those games)

Obviously i'd go for a United game, and I am tempted to go West Ham away at the end of 94/95... as on another day we'd have won that match... and I still think even if we had won it, it wouldn't have stopped the youngsters coming through... but for me it's a toss up between Portsmouth in the FA Cup in 2008 (we'd definitely have won that game on another day) or Villa in the League Cup final in 94.

Whilst the Portsmouth win would probably have led to another treble, there is a chance the fatigue of an FA Cup Semi and Final would impact our League and CL pushes... so i'll go with Villa in 94. Tougher opponent, but on another day I think i'd back us to win it, and that would have sealed a domestic treble.

 

[Solius]

The CL game against Madrid.

Or that 4-4 with Everton. F*cking Pienaar.

 

[.Rossi]

West Ham 94/95
FA Cup Final 2005 (Still infuriated with that one)
Everton 2012

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

Bayern Munich in 2010. Rafael wouldn't have gotten sent off and we'd have likely played against Mourinho's Inter in the final.

 

[Jimble]

that game in 2014 against Fulham. See if we can make it 100 crosses in a single game

 

[kthanksbye]

The CL game against Madrid.

Or that 4-4 with Everton. F*cking Pienaar.

Was this the season AGUEROOOOO happened? Then even I'd pick the Everton game. Or better, the 1-6 City game. I'm sure we're not losing that game with that margin.

 

[Solius]

Was this the season AGUEROOOOO happened? Then even I'd pick the Everton game. Or better, the 1-6 City game. I'm sure we're not losing that game with that margin.

Yeah. Even the game against City with the Kompany header, but I feel like the Everton one would be easier not to feck up a second time.

 

[RobinLFC]

Last season's CL final or the loss to Chelsea back in April '14, probably the latter one.

 

[Wiltord02]

Leeds vs Arsenal 1999. We lost 1-0 in the last minute and virtually handed the title to United.
Villa vs Arsenal 2003. Conceded a stupid OG after dominating the match. Start of a bad run of damaging draws which killed off our title chances.
Arsenal vs Chelsea 2004 CL QF second leg. A Jens Lehmann error cost us one of our best chances at ever winning a Champions League.
Champions League Final 2006.

We had a very good chance of winning all those games. Any one of them had the potential to change our history forever.

 

[OleTheGreat]

following the latest games, i'd say the Arsenal game.. on another day we'd score the first goal and keep the momentum upwards..

 

[Chipper]

Just putting a few different ones out there.

Dortmund 96/97 Champions League semi final 2nd leg would be up there. We missed some big chances that night and could very well have gone through.

That night Mourinho's Porto put us out and he ran down the touchline. We had the wrongly disallowed Scholes offside goal.

Another shot at Arsenal's invincibles when Ruud missed the penalty might be fun. Doubt it would have done much to our prospects of winning the league, but you never know with the knock on effect. I'm just miserable and wouldn't mind the chance of denying Arsenal their invincible season.

Obvious one about a game being played on a different day - Red Star Belgrade. Different weather conditions the next day or the day before and Munich may not have happened.

 

[Giggs86]

CL final 2009. We weren't that far off of Barca as in 2011, and 5 out of 10 times we'd win that match. Could've been the first team to retain the CL and solidify that team as the best United of all time.

 

[Bill Hartzia]

CL final 2009. We weren't that far off of Barca as in 2011, and 5 out of 10 times we'd win that match. Could've been the first team to retain the CL and solidify that team as the best United of all time.

What he said.

 

[Needham]

The 3rd round FA cup tie at Forest. Just curious whether they'd have sacked Fergie.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Last season's CL final or the loss to Chelsea back in April '14, probably the latter one.

For your lot, definitely that Chelsea game.

You'd probably win that game 7 times out of 10, but the Madrid final... I don't know, I think there's still a high chance they'd win.

Actually what am I saying, the answer is definitely the 2005 CL Final.

 

[Holocene]

2009 Champions League final.

Another CL trophy for Fergie and we'd have been the first team to win it back to back. What could have been.

 

[acnumber9]

The Everton 4-4 instantly springs to mind. Win it, we win the league and if the rumours are true maybe Fergie would’ve left that season earlier and we would actually have had a chance at getting a top manager before they were taken in 2013.

 

[Sir Scott McToMinay]

The 4-4 with Everton, feck that match and that donkey Jelavic.

CL final 2009. We weren't that far off of Barca as in 2011, and 5 out of 10 times we'd win that match. Could've been the first team to retain the CL and solidify that team as the best United of all time.

No way we were winning that 5 out of 10, I don’t think we’ve had a decent scoring opportunity the entire match, other than that free kick and rebound in the beginning of the match.
We were thoroughly outplayed, our midfield was well and truly schooled that day.

 

[jderbyshire]

Better still, replay the semi final 2nd leg against arsenal and hopefully Fletcher wouldn't get sent off.

Missed him badly in that final.

 

[RobinLFC]

For your lot, definitely that Chelsea game.

You'd probably win that game 7 times out of 10, but the Madrid final... I don't know, I think there's still a high chance they'd win.

Actually what am I saying, the answer is definitely the 2005 CL Final.

Feck no! We probably lose that game 9 times out of 10.

I included the CL final because it's unlikely (not impossible, mind you) that Karius would feck up like that again. You also mentioned injured players in the OP, I didn't want to start about Salah's injury once again but I wonder if it could've made a difference. Of course we'd still be underdogs but that game left me with a bit of a what if sentiment.

The Chelsea one is obvious though, yeah. Chances are much higher we'd win that one, after which I'd sure we would've gone on to win the league. And, of course, Gerrard's infamous slip would never be.

 

[Rob]

Chelsea. Urgh.

 

[Tommy]

Feck no! We probably lose that game 9 times out of 10.

I included the CL final because it's unlikely (not impossible, mind you) that Karius would feck up like that again. You also mentioned injured players in the OP, I didn't want to start about Salah's injury once again but I wonder if it could've made a difference. Of course we'd still be underdogs but that game left me with a bit of a what if sentiment.

The Chelsea one is obvious though, yeah. Chances are much higher we'd win that one, after which I'd sure we would've gone on to win the league. And, of course, Gerrard's infamous slip would never be.

To be fair, that infamous slip is the only thing that gets Chelsea fans singing anything other than "CHELSEA CHELSEA CHELSEA... CHELSEA CHELSEA CHELSEA!", so at least some good has come out of it. Consider it an education at our expense

But hmm... Yeah, it really is that Chelsea game for me.

 

[gormless]

Better still, replay the semi final 2nd leg against arsenal and hopefully Fletcher wouldn't get sent off.

Missed him badly in that final.

Or even better yet, Chelsea to replay the semi against Barca and get one of the decisions that they should have got. I think we beat Chelsea in the final

 

[Reddy Rederson]

The 1995 FA cup final. Watched the game with an ex friend who kept secret the fact he was an 'anyone but united'. Like a fecking diehard anyone but united. Id love to see that smug satisfied grin wiped off his cnut face.

 

[ghagua]

2008 FA cup against Portsmouth. We should have won that by a few goals and would have had our 2nd treble.

Many other games come to mind, but that defeat against Portsmouth still brings back bad memories.

 

[Skills]

A bit far fetched :

United vs Basel 1-2 Champions League group stage

Vidic tore his ACL and never really recovered from it. Our defense has been sketchy ever since and cost us the league title later that season. If he was fit, the abomination against Everton never happens and we get a couple more seasons of prime Vidic.

 

[Jibbs]

1. Man United vs Porto 1-1
2. Man United vs Everton 4-4
3. Man United vs Liverpool 1-4

 

[redman5]

Arsenal last game of 1989 when they nicked the title off us with almost the last kick of the season. Like to think we'd go for the win this time rather than just trying to see the game out right from the first whistle.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Leeds vs Arsenal 1999. We lost 1-0 in the last minute and virtually handed the title to United.
Villa vs Arsenal 2003. Conceded a stupid OG after dominating the match. Start of a bad run of damaging draws which killed off our title chances.
Arsenal vs Chelsea 2004 CL QF second leg. A Jens Lehmann error cost us one of our best chances at ever winning a Champions League.
Champions League Final 2006.

We had a very good chance of winning all those games. Any one of them had the potential to change our history forever.

I remember that game so well... I went nuts when Hasselbaink scored. I don't think any Leeds fans even wanted to win that game either.

No mention for the game against us at OT in 2004?... Without the Rooney dive...

 

[WR10]

That CL game against Real. Nanis red card was heart breaking

 

[GhastlyHun]

99
12

 

[calmufc98]

1. Everton 4-4 2012
2. Wigan Athletic 1-0 2012
3. Real Madrid 1-2 (honestly think we'd have won it) 2013

 

[OutlawGER]

99 Bayern v United
or
12 Bayern v Chelsea

 

[the chameleon]

Porto 2004
Barcelona 2009
Bayern Munich 2010

 

[sglowrider]

Roma

 

[MancunianAngels]

There’s a few that come to mind but you always have to look at the impact of a changed result.

Dortmund 1997 - One of the first matches I remember. My parents were gutted and vaguely remember seeing pictures of Eric close to tears. Losing that game meant Fergie has a rethink in Europe. No rethink = no Treble?

Leverkusen 2002 - Another failed European semi final. The final was originally going to be Fergies last game. Had we got through to the final and beaten Madrid, would Fergie have stayed for another 11 years if he already had that 2nd European Cup.

Porto 2004 - Would certainly have changed recent history. Put Mourinho on the world stage, would he have gone to Chelsea without that European Cup win? The impact on United would have been minimal, we were in a transition period and wouldn’t have gone much further in the competition.

Chelsea 2010/City 2012 - Put these two together as they both were similar matches resulting in us losing the initiative in the title race. Bizarre tactics in both cost us. Wider impact would have been Fergie potentially retiring a year earlier.

 

[Wiltord02]

I remember that game so well... I went nuts when Hasselbaink scored. I don't think any Leeds fans even wanted to win that game either.

No mention for the game against us at OT in 2004?... Without the Rooney dive...

Amazing how events transpired. Winterburn suffered a head injury in the 86th minute and was replaced by Nelson Vivas...

Guess who failed to mark Hasselbaink at the back post...

The Rooney dive was painful at the time and obvious had massive significance in ending our unbeaten run. However, it was the early in the season. It was a string of 3 draws from the next four games that made a title race against a brilliant Chelsea team all the more difficult. Even if we reverse the result and say we won at Old Trafford, its difficult to say how it would have altered the 04/05 season.

 

[Grande]

CL final 2009. We weren't that far off of Barca as in 2011, and 5 out of 10 times we'd win that match. Could've been the first team to retain the CL and solidify that team as the best United of all time.

I second this, and raise it: I think we’d actually have won it 7 out of 10. And rolling on from that Ronaldo would have stayed, Guardiola would have quit, Messi would have crumbled and we’d have won the Cl four times on the trot.

At least I’d never needed to hear another person raving on about Guardiola being greater than Sir Alex.

 

[Oxeki]

Our game vs Barça in 2006 UCL final. Being that it's a trophy we've never won.

I was gutted when we lost that game. we were the better team before the Lehman red card. After that everything went tits up (even though we scored immediately after the red card)

 

[saeed]

madrid 1-2 (2013)
everton 4-4 (2012)
bayern 3-2 (2010)
chelsea 1-1 (2010)

(these mathes cost us 2 ECL and 2 EPL)