What's your darkest moment as a United fan?

[Chumpsbechumps]

Though not directly linked to the club, the Aguero goal.

That sticks out for me. You can pretty much chart our decline since then with our league win the season after being our last hurrah wit

Ferguson retiring wasn’t a dark day, it was just an inevitable sad day.

Blackburn pipping us on final day was equally painful. Cantona getting banned that same season for bonus points.

I remember back then listening to commentary of the palace game on radio and the commentators were saying “you won’t believe what Cantona did”. The cynic had me thinking “I’m sure it’s not as bad as they are saying” but this was one time wereit looked every bit as bad.

Glazers taking over equally is a dark day, probably the worst cause they could have bankrupt the club had they not got very lucky. I don’t think some people realise how much dept they leveraged.And to boot they are just muppets when it comes to running a football club, they haven’t a clue what they are doing. It’s no coincidence the clubs on field form collapsed after Ferguson retired even though they’ve thrown a fortune at it. If you are stupid, it doesn’t matter how much money you spend.

 

[Wumminator]

Genuinely - reading some of the responses to issues like Greenwood, Qatar etc etc here. It’s so disheartening.

Mostly - we are blessed on the pitch.

 

[Fortitude]

1. Club being sold to the Glazer scourge.
2. Fergie Retiring
3. All the rest of this shit essentially blurs into one and won't subside until we're back on our feet.

 

[simplyared]

Seeing the the Lawman in a city shirt was bad enough but nothing compares with 7-0.

 

[Eriku]

Has to be when Fergie retired, not just because I knew we'd never see anything like him again but because it also meant no-one was there to stand up against the Glazers.

Everything since then, the 5-0, the 7-0, the Ole era, where we are today, all as a result of the above.

When the feck did Fergie stand up to the Glazers?

I love the man, but if anything he’s been a solid enabler of them at times, even having a go at fans for their criticism.

 

[The White Pele]

It was probably around February last year.

Ole’s departure was sad despite his shortcomings.

Our season was dead and it felt like we had written it off with the appointment of Rangnick.

The Ronaldo gamble had clearly backfired.

Rashford looked completely lost, unmotivated and devoid of confidence.

And then the Greenwood situation was a real hammer blow as he was our big hope for the future.

Elsewhere there was a very real possibility of a Liverpool quadruple or a City treble.

It felt like we were as far from the top as we had been at any point post Fergie and with no reasons for optimism whatsoever.

 

[MancunianAngels]

Genuinely - reading some of the responses to issues like Greenwood, Qatar etc etc here. It’s so disheartening.

Mostly - we are blessed on the pitch.

Yep. We have finished outside the top 6 once in the last 32 years. That's an insane record.

 

[Dermott Walsh]

Leaving OT the night of Nani's red against Real Madrid. We were the better team and I think would of went on to win it had we bet them. Atmosphere was electric that night but also spilled over. I remember united fans having a scuffle with each other as some were singing Viva Ronaldo as CR7 left the pitch.
Hindsight of course has made this more sour as we didn't know at the time it would be Fergie's last CL run and the start of a barren decade.

 

[Wilt]

Nothing comes close to Cantona’s eight month ban ….dark days indeed.

On a happier note, he came back stronger than ever.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

20 beers deep and she said ... papi its soft. Then Nani got a red card for a high boot.

 

[JackRowley]

Relegation in 1974

 

[Yanited__]

There's so many moments. In my lifetime, Liverpool lifting their 19th title and their 6th European cup was when I felt really down. City's treble as well but I got over that quicker than seeing the rats win. I pray to god they don't win another PL and match our 20. But I can see them get a couple more in a few years, far more likely than us given our state.

After an individual result/game, all the recent thrashing's the rats gave us but obviously the 7-0 stands out. For some reason the 2-1 lost to City at home under Mourinho in 17/18 hit me. For me, it cemented we won't be able to compete with them no matter who the manager is. Plus that game was just a piss take, had Kyle Walker taking the mick out of us in the corner flags for 10 minutes.

Aguero last minute goal too, the 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in the UCL final and then 3-1 a few years later when I was convinced we couldn't be beaten twice! I was a lot younger when these moments happened so I didn't quite understand/let it affect me too much, although I was fuming after the 3-1. The period in LVG's last season when we were absolutely dire, lost like 3 or 4 on the trot and were playing boring football.

Obviously I wasn't alive to witness relegation but I'd imagine that would be up there. So many moments and a lot of them sadly occured post-2013. I think we'll have some more downs to add to the list in the coming years, pray/hope not but future looks bleak with these owners.

 

[johnnyteutonic]

7-0 didn't pain me as much as the 5-0 trashing at OT. The first was an anamoly, an outlier in another wise decent season that can soon be forgotten. The 21-22 game just showed how far we'd fallen behind those who were very far behind us once. On top of that, I was installing Gentoo Linux on my laptop while watching that game. Pain compounded.

Harder than Arch?

 

[Thrillho]

Most already stated but:

- Glazer takeover
- Nani red card in the CL (convinced we would have won it that year otherwise)
- 0-2 at home to Burnley under Ole
- 7-0
- 4-4 against Everton having been 4-2 up to effectively hand City the title and create that Ageurooo moment

 

[Dr. T]

Collapsing in March and April during the 91-92 season to hand the title to Leeds. Honestly thought we'd win it for the first time in my lifetime, only to throw it away in a matter of weeks. Compounded by the Labour Party doing exactly the same thing in the 92 general election at the same time. Shittest April ever.

I came here to say - April 1992, Liverpool 2-0 to end our hopes and confirm Leeds as champions. I was young and impressionable then, and very, very upset.

 

[CantonaManc]

Not giving Rangnick trust to work with ETH and sacking him when he was the best choice for the Sporting Director role at our club.Had they trusted him to work for United and back his plans we would have been much better off now. In general, that is why he was brought in first place, he never wanted to be Interim manager.

We were close to gold with this guy. I don't think many people understood that.

But he was not comfortable for the Glazers they needed someone own.

He told United to buy - Enzo, Haaland , Alvarez , Diaz Nkunku and Gvardiol (when he had connections in Leipzig) they bought none of them Madness.

 

[bringbackbebe]

Harder than Arch?

Arch is kindergarten in comparison to Gentoo

 

[Crimson King]

When the Glazer's completed their hostile takeover with a leveraged buyout that burdened the club with all the debt. It was infuriating that the people that are meant to protect the sport did nothing, and most of the free press and opposition fans openly mocked us. A horrible display of football tribalism, but not unexpected.

Then when SAF announced his retirement, and shortly afterwards Moyes got the job. SAF had been the only thing papering over the Glazer's neglect of the club. Gill also left as well, and even though we didn't know it yet, we got the gift that kept on giving... Woodward.

 

[Adebisi's Hat]

in terms of results i remember a really grim 2-1 defeat by Norwich around Christmas with Van Gaal that felt like a kick in the nuts and put a downer on Christmas.

against Liverpool the 5-0 at Old Trafford was far worse that that weird Anfield result that shall not be mentioned. There was a real hopelessness about the performance in that game, i think Klopp even had sympathy with Ole that day.

Of course i don't remember Munich but for anyone who remembers that, results on the field would be put very much in a different perspective.

 

[IRN-BRUno]

The Aguero goal would be up there although at least then you knew that it was something that would be used as motivation for the next season. After that it would be the end part of Mourinho's time here and the whole of the Rangnick period.

 

[Kag]

The Sevilla tie under Mourinho. Lost all interest and hope after that.

And maybe today if we don’t sign a midfielder…

 

[Garethw]

Not giving Rangnick trust to work with ETH and sacking him when he was the best choice for the Sporting Director role at our club.Had they trusted him to work for United and back his plans we would have been much better off now. In general, that is why he was brought in first place, he never wanted to be Interim manager.

We were close to gold with this guy. I don't think many people understood that.

But he was not comfortable for the Glazers they needed someone own.

He told United to buy - Enzo, Haaland , Alvarez , Diaz Nkunku and Gvardiol (when he had connections in Leipzig) they bought none of them Madness.

I think the blame lies with ETH on this one. I think he had zero interest in working with RR and wanted to do things his way.

 

[Wibble]

On the terraces when we were relegated. Turned out well and the season in Div 2 was great fun.

 

[grahamo]

1992. We were pipped to the league by Leeds. Best chance in my lifetime to win it after such a long wait. Really thought we would do it too but it all fell apart from Easter Monday onwards. ( Think we lost 2-1 at home to forest on Easter Monday that year). I was absolutely gutted. Even relegation didn't make me feel that bad.

 

[Adebisi's Hat]

For me, it was the appointment of Ralf Rangnick. I remember caf getting giddy and ready to jump on you as soon as you doubt that man's credentials. There wasn't even a new manager bounce with this lad.

Funny enough i don't have any bad feeling for Rangnick himself. He came into a difficult situation of his own choice but he had zero support once he came in the door. No proper assistant manager (Chris Armas was all he got). Not even a loan signing in January was allowed and the players did not even bother for him knowing he was going in the summer anyway. That era is more of an indictment on the owners, sporting director and even the players than it was on Ralf. He was spot on about needing a clear out and at least 10 new players (he would love it at Chelsea).

 

[Swordsman]

1. The Aguero moment.
2. Fergie retiring because i knew that's the end of the dynasty.

 

[Chumpsbechumps]

Most already stated but:

- Glazer takeover
- Nani red card in the CL (convinced we would have won it that year otherwise)
- 0-2 at home to Burnley under Ole
- 7-0
- 4-4 against Everton having been 4-2 up to effectively hand City the title and create that Ageurooo moment

ah that 4-4 game, I remember well as I broke the remote tv

 

[Art]

Phil Jones taking that corner was an iconic one.

 

[pacifictheme]

To update my previous answer: When I read the glazers had pulled the sale.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Sacking LVG after winning the FA cup and the team starting to show some sort of direction for Jose.

 

[Castia]

It’s the Aguero goal isn’t it.

Nothing will ever beat losing a league title in the last minute of a game to your local rivals.

Its not even close by the way, nothing in the last 20 years comes close to that.

 

[ohhrooney]

Almost every game post Fergie has been a dark moment for me. With the boss gone, suddenly the club also lost its magic, culture and mentality.

Initially there was an excitement for the change of direction with a club getting a new manager for the first time in decades years, then the same boom bust cycle seeped out all the energy.

From an eternal optimist I have become a sad pessimist in the last 10 years.