Maybe I'm repeating what only others have said in numerous other ways but I wanted to take you back to 2005. Having left the pub, to watch us get knocked out by Benfica in the Champions League. In sombre mood I can still remember reading the following below from Phil McNulty.
If you can't be bothered to read it, he basically said Ferguson was finished. He wasn't the first and he probably wasn't the last to do it but I never wanted Man Utd to prove someone so wrong apart from this moment alone.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/4508672.stm
Despite Liverpool winning the CL they weren't really a threat to us especially in the league, Arsenal - FA cup winners but were about to hit a period of transition, it was Chelsea our biggest threat overall.
Something inside me on that day said that Ferguson has and will pull this around for us. We only went 3 years without the league but what he did post end of the 05/06 season was nothing short of sheer brilliance.
Off the top of my head;
06/07 - Premier League,
07/08 - Premier League, Champions League
08/09 - Premier League,
09/10 - League Cup
10/11 - Premier League
12/13 - Premier League (retired)
In between that period we came runners up in the FA Cup(2007), CL runners up twice (2009,2011) - beaten by probably the greatest ever team to grace a football pitch IMO, lost the league by 1 point to Chelsea (2010) and GD to City (2012) just to remind us all that we were consistently up there despite not getting past the mark.
We had great players we had bad players, but we had a philosophy, a style of play and a world class manager make no doubt about that.
Anderson wasn't one of my personal favourites but one of the most striking quotes he ever gave still rings in my head till this day.
‘Manchester United is Alex Ferguson. When he leaves, the club will lose 30 to 40 per cent. So much depends on him,’ he said.’ He’s a father to all the players, a very respected person and when he retires, the football world will really feel his loss.’.......
No more feeling nostalgic. It's been 7 years now. We don't have Ferguson.
I don't know if I can replicate the same feelings of proving the naysayers wrong this time. City are the new Chelsea and have been mightily strong since Guadiola has been there. Lpool look the real deal, they will win the league and have the potential to go a season or 2 in a similar position - who knows.
There is something inside telling me we have some players who could be the future of Man Utd - Scott McTominay, Brandon Williams, Fred, Rashford. James and Greenwood have been put under a lot of pressure unfairly and I'd put them in the same bracket of future potential.
Maybe I've missed some players, maybe I've been too kind to one or 2 above, that's not really what my post is about (if it even makes any sense at all)
Do people still believe we have something to potentially build on......taking the last 7 years of reflection into perspective with all the mistakes we've made and build a team that can go on and fight for and dare I say win a Premier League?
I really hope this is that moment again.
If you can't be bothered to read it, he basically said Ferguson was finished. He wasn't the first and he probably wasn't the last to do it but I never wanted Man Utd to prove someone so wrong apart from this moment alone.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/4508672.stm
Despite Liverpool winning the CL they weren't really a threat to us especially in the league, Arsenal - FA cup winners but were about to hit a period of transition, it was Chelsea our biggest threat overall.
Something inside me on that day said that Ferguson has and will pull this around for us. We only went 3 years without the league but what he did post end of the 05/06 season was nothing short of sheer brilliance.
Off the top of my head;
06/07 - Premier League,
07/08 - Premier League, Champions League
08/09 - Premier League,
09/10 - League Cup
10/11 - Premier League
12/13 - Premier League (retired)
In between that period we came runners up in the FA Cup(2007), CL runners up twice (2009,2011) - beaten by probably the greatest ever team to grace a football pitch IMO, lost the league by 1 point to Chelsea (2010) and GD to City (2012) just to remind us all that we were consistently up there despite not getting past the mark.
We had great players we had bad players, but we had a philosophy, a style of play and a world class manager make no doubt about that.
Anderson wasn't one of my personal favourites but one of the most striking quotes he ever gave still rings in my head till this day.
‘Manchester United is Alex Ferguson. When he leaves, the club will lose 30 to 40 per cent. So much depends on him,’ he said.’ He’s a father to all the players, a very respected person and when he retires, the football world will really feel his loss.’.......
No more feeling nostalgic. It's been 7 years now. We don't have Ferguson.
I don't know if I can replicate the same feelings of proving the naysayers wrong this time. City are the new Chelsea and have been mightily strong since Guadiola has been there. Lpool look the real deal, they will win the league and have the potential to go a season or 2 in a similar position - who knows.
There is something inside telling me we have some players who could be the future of Man Utd - Scott McTominay, Brandon Williams, Fred, Rashford. James and Greenwood have been put under a lot of pressure unfairly and I'd put them in the same bracket of future potential.
Maybe I've missed some players, maybe I've been too kind to one or 2 above, that's not really what my post is about (if it even makes any sense at all)
Do people still believe we have something to potentially build on......taking the last 7 years of reflection into perspective with all the mistakes we've made and build a team that can go on and fight for and dare I say win a Premier League?
I really hope this is that moment again.