Sorry for nitpicking but Nanis red card was at OT.
If you could reverse the result of one match from the last decade...
- Thread starter Mr Smith
- Start date
United: 2009 final obviously, we may have even kept Cristiano for all we know
Peñarol: 2011 Libertadores final against Santos. A single goal away from winning it and denying Neymar who was cocky throughout.
Uruguay: 2010 semi vs Netherlands. Would have fancied our chances against Spain with Suarez and Lugano back, given how much they struggled against both Switzerland and Paraguay.
Peñarol: 2011 Libertadores final against Santos. A single goal away from winning it and denying Neymar who was cocky throughout.
Uruguay: 2010 semi vs Netherlands. Would have fancied our chances against Spain with Suarez and Lugano back, given how much they struggled against both Switzerland and Paraguay.
2009 CL final. It's the one that came to mind the second I saw the thread title. Being the first team to retain the CL, beating that Barca team, would have been special.
For United all those came to mind straight away except 2011 (wasn't even close) and Portsmouth (more than a decade ago surely?).
Euro 2012 semifinal vs Spain for me. We’d have beaten Italy in the final
Chelsea game, infamous for Gerrard's slip 
between CL final 2009 and Everton 4-4. Bayrn CL quarter 2010 hurt too. I'm certain we would've gone on to win the competition.
2009 final, without a doubt.
When we lost 1-0 against City. Very disappointed, and then they finally got EPL trophy.
For me it's only 1 game that I'd change: The Chelsea - Barca game with Ovrebo as a ref. That game was a disgrace to football and clearly someone wanted Barca to win.
United
2009 Champions League final. It's between this and 2011 but 2009 Barca didn't deserve to be in the final (the Chelsea robbery) and that would have made us the first team to defend in the Champions League era.
Honorable mentions: 2011 final, 2011/2012 6-1 loss to City, 2-1 loss at home to Chelsea in 2010 (Drogba's offside was a 3 point swing in a league we lost by one point) stopped us being the first team to be champions four times straight and we'd have been champions five times straight since we won in 2011 and if my above results go my way we'd have won seven straight. 1995 final day at West Ham
Non-United
2016 Champions League final Atletico Madrid-Real Madrid. Between this and 2014 final but 2016 would have given them the last laugh and they won the league in 2014 so there was a massive sense of achievement and silverware anyway.
Honorable mentions: 2001 Champions League final Valencia-Bayern Munich. I have a big soft spot for Valencia as a club and their fans and after getting to the final by surprise in 2000 and then to reach it again this was a cruel loss. Led in the game, led in the shootout and haven't sniffed it since.
2009 Champions League final. It's between this and 2011 but 2009 Barca didn't deserve to be in the final (the Chelsea robbery) and that would have made us the first team to defend in the Champions League era.
Honorable mentions: 2011 final, 2011/2012 6-1 loss to City, 2-1 loss at home to Chelsea in 2010 (Drogba's offside was a 3 point swing in a league we lost by one point) stopped us being the first team to be champions four times straight and we'd have been champions five times straight since we won in 2011 and if my above results go my way we'd have won seven straight. 1995 final day at West Ham
Non-United
2016 Champions League final Atletico Madrid-Real Madrid. Between this and 2014 final but 2016 would have given them the last laugh and they won the league in 2014 so there was a massive sense of achievement and silverware anyway.
Honorable mentions: 2001 Champions League final Valencia-Bayern Munich. I have a big soft spot for Valencia as a club and their fans and after getting to the final by surprise in 2000 and then to reach it again this was a cruel loss. Led in the game, led in the shootout and haven't sniffed it since.
That game was blatantly refereed under instructions. At the time I actually wanted Barca to win for a more glamorous final but remember being furious at what was obvious corruption and totally unfair on Chelsea who I couldn't stand.
This. That would have really heightened Fergie's legacy even further as the first manager to retain the CL. Took nearly another 10 years for Zidane to do it first.
Also felt like a match we really had a great chance of winning. Barcelona were weakened by suspensions and we still had a very strong team with Ronaldo et al. Oh well.
2011 CL final is a distant second. We were played off the park in that one by Barcelona at their peak so I don't look back on it with much regret. The better team by far won and we weren't a great side at that point. We kind of fluked our way to the final with some easy draws (Schalke in the semis?!).
Exactly my feelings. It actually destroyed my love for football. I am still watching but not as enjoying as I used to.
2009 final, we didn't play our best team like we did in 2008, instead we elected to play Park which was a mistake. Also scholesey on the bench against a team you need to keep the ball against.. ditto Tevez. Feel like SAF got that one wrong.. If we played the team that started in the 08 final, or if we played Scholes, Tevez and possibly Nani instead of Park / Giggs / Ando, I feel like we would have won.
2008 FA cup semi second I guess, but I don't mind much given how succesfull a year it was regardless of that.
2008 FA cup semi second I guess, but I don't mind much given how succesfull a year it was regardless of that.
Either of the FA Cup finals against Arsenal. The one from the eighties did create a lot of new United fans worldwide though.
The one in the 2000s was pure pain and cruelty.
The one in the 2000s was pure pain and cruelty.
I think Fletcher's suspension hurt us too. He'd have been nailed on to start but Fabregas being the petulant little shitbag he is dived and got him red carded with about 3 minutes left in a game they needed 5 to win.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I've heard Fergie shoulder the blame for that final saying we didn't play our game. Scholes was a no-brainer to start for his ability to give us possession and his experience as good a season as Giggsy had. Tevez also I agree. Tenacious enough to have forced mistakes and an excellent big game record including the previous final where he was excellent.
I would change the result of the City - QPR game. It would have been brilliant for us if they had bottled it in the last game of the season.
Yeah I think he was influenced probably by the 07/08 semi, where Park played pretty well. But imo in a 1 legged final it's best to play your best team and try and win by playing football rather than nullifying the other team. I don't really blame Fergie as he got us there in the first place but as per this thread, this would would be the game where I'd change things, not even the results really, just the starting lineup as I'm sure it would've gone better for us.
Man Utd aside, maybe the 2014 WC final.
Good call. I remember Nani was electric up until that red card. Shame for Fergie's last European campaign.
Aside from the obvious, Bayern games in 2009/10 CL come to mind. I’ve never rewatched them but going by my memories it was one of the most dominant performances by United against a top European opposition... that we somehow lost. We would’ve been favorites to win the CL as well, I think that we’ve had a very good chance against Mourinho’s Inter.
United 2nd leg 2009, Barcelona 2006, Paris or 2ng leg quarter final against Chelsea. Think we would of walked it if we got through that, with Monaco, Porto and Deportivo left. But if only one, it has to be the Barcelona final in 2006
CL 2009
Always the last game we lost . I wish we beat Arsenal and buried the goals on the chances we had, that would have been sweet.
. I wish we beat Arsenal and buried the goals on the chances we had, that would have been sweet.Probably the 2008 UEFA cup final against Zenit, but in reality they were the better team and we were dead on our feet.
Going back a little further, the 1999/00 Champions League group stage match away to Bayern. Somehow we lost 1-0 despite dominating the game, hitting the woodwork twice and Kahn playing like superman, which allowed Bayern to squeeze through with Valencia. Reckon we could have gone very far that season in the CL.
Going back a little further, the 1999/00 Champions League group stage match away to Bayern. Somehow we lost 1-0 despite dominating the game, hitting the woodwork twice and Kahn playing like superman, which allowed Bayern to squeeze through with Valencia. Reckon we could have gone very far that season in the CL.
2009 Champions League final - would have been the first team to retain the Champions League.
Maybe we would have ended up with better signings than Valencia, Obertan and Owen to replace the best player in the world. That summer was a joke.
Maybe we would have ended up with better signings than Valencia, Obertan and Owen to replace the best player in the world. That summer was a joke.
I’d reverse the results of my freshman year loss.. we went 12-1 for the season. Would’ve had a perfect record !!
The Atletico/Real final in 2016 is a great shout. Atletico had such a hard run to the final as well, while Real had Roma, Wolfsburg and an extremely average Man City team. They didn't deserve a piece of it that year.
Yeah, not to mention Ramo's goal came from an offside header and they lost the shoot out with Juanfran hitting the post if IIRC. The cruelest CL defeat IMO given the run to get there and how easy Real had it.
The 2009 CL final is the obvious choice but I’d also nominate the FA Cup semi-final against City in 2011. That was the day they broke free from the psychological stranglehold we had over them. We bossed the opening stages but Berbatov (criminally replacing Tevez) bottled his chances, Toure took control and City were on their way to breaking their trophy drought.
2009 Final. Ronnie would have stayed I reckon.
He scores.
Sporting 0-1 Benfica in the 2015/16 season
That Bryan Ruiz open net miss which cost us the season Still haunts me.....
Or
Sporting 1-3 CSKA In our own backyard in the final of the UEFA cup. That result hurts as well.
That Bryan Ruiz open net miss which cost us the season Still haunts me.....
Or
Sporting 1-3 CSKA In our own backyard in the final of the UEFA cup. That result hurts as well.