REVIEW OF THE NOUGHTIES: 2005/2006
2005/06.
Failure once again in the league in 05/06 marked the first time in the history of the Premiership that we went 3 seasons without winning the title; and to think only five seasons previous we had won our 3rd on the trot. A mixture of complacency and Chelsea’s dominant position in the transfer market (and by dominant position, I mean monopoly) saw us trail yet again and all but confirm the rapid shift in power. All the talk now was about ‘if the end of the 20th century was United’s, then the 21st will be Chelsea’s’.
We did however improve on last season’s no-show by coming second in the league on an impressive 83 points - making you believe that our final point’s total may have even been enough to win it another year - and winning the Carling Cup. I remember at the time talking to mates about how gaining an automatic Champions League place and wining a trophy was now classified as a ‘good season’ for United…my how the mighty had fallen.
But whereas on-field events were at times moderately positive yet generally (and yet again) average, 2005/06 was ALL about the off-field events…
…in other news. Right, where do we begin?? In June 2005 a fat American buys out our club; gradually increasing his shareholdings from 3% in 2003 to nearly 30% (the amount in which he would have to make a formal takeover bid) in October of 2004. By May of the following year it was up to 75% and then nearly the full amount (98%) by 28th June. The final valuation of the club was thought to be around £800million, but his bid was heavily financed; and so our club is now forced to repay the plunging debt, of which is up to around £700million with £60million a year being repayed in interest payments.
Next: on the 18th November 2005, Roy Keane left. The reasons for him leaving so abruptly at this odd moment in the season are still unclear and sceptical due to a number of factors: his comments on MUTV slating our fringe players after we were beaten 4-1 at the Riverside? The career-threatening injury he picked up against Liverpool in September (picture above)? It was all a bit baffling and impromptu, but if there was ever a way for the legend to leave, it was in this Cobain-esque ‘better to burn away than to fade away’ style. Volatile, shocking and enigmatic; just the way we loved him.
Then, to top off a crazy 2005, Georgie Best passed away on the 25th November*.
*(when looking for a picture of him, I found one of him on his deathbed but I was too sadened and, quite frankly, sickened to put it up. The man is the greatest and never deserves to be remembered in that way)
Players In.
van der Sar
Park
Vidic
Evra
Top 4:
Chelsea – 91
United – 83
Liverpool – 82
Arsenal – 67
Bottom 4:
Portsmouth – 38
---------------------------------
Birmingham City – 34
West Brom – 30
Sunderland – 15
Player. Rooney; who won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the second year running, scored 19 in total.
Goal.
Van Nistelrooy's vs. Charlton (a), November 19th 2005. Rooney's run from the half-way line and outside-of-the-boot cross was received by Ruud on the chest; turning and smacking it in on the volley. World class play from the pair of them.
Remembered for?
The Chelsea win (h) on the 6th November was the best league win of the season. We had just been battered 4-1 at the Riverside a week earlier, and only a few days after that we lost in Lille in the Champions League, so when Chelsea came to OT - already 13 points ahead of us - noone thought there was any hope. A looping Fletcher header (picture above) was the difference as our dogged, determined display held off Mourinho's men.
Wasn’t too sure whether to put this in the 'remembered' or 'forget' section…but Rooney’s metatarsal.
As with Beckham’s before the last World Cup, was the summers hot point after he broke it at the away defeat to Chelsea in April, causing another ‘will he/won’t he’ scenario regarding his World Cup inclusion. Sticking with United and the World Cup, Ronaldo was vilified by the entire nation as, apparently, he was the sole reason for England not winning the World Cup…nothing to do with Rooney being deservedly sent-off for stamping on Carvalho’s balls. Or that England were generally shit. Nope. It was all about that f**king wink.
The Carling Cup Final was decent enough, with the tribute to ‘Smudge’ as we lifted the trophy being the highlight. Ronaldo was awesome, scoring one in the 4-0 victory over Wigan and showing us all that he has well and truly (physically) developed; from the skinny, lanky boy from Madeira, to this:
Also, Saha intriguingly wormed his way ahead of Van Nistelrooy – one of the club’s greatest, most prolific goal-scorers (although Ruud still managed 21 goals in the league). Fergie benched ‘the horse’ for 6 games in a row – including the League Cup final – and left him out entirely of our final game against Charlton. Angry at the exclusion, he ‘stormed out’ of the ground…never to return.
Best to forget...
The worst performances and results came in Europe, as we failed to reach the knock-out stages for the first time ever in the competition. Defeats and a series of draws against thoroughly beatable teams – Benfica, Lille and Villareal – saw us not make it past the New Year. In the Villareal away draw, we all remember Rooney infamously getting sent off for this:
Also, Liverpool knocking us out of the FA Cup Quarter final; doing this to Smudger in the process:
Failure once again in the league in 05/06 marked the first time in the history of the Premiership that we went 3 seasons without winning the title; and to think only five seasons previous we had won our 3rd on the trot. A mixture of complacency and Chelsea’s dominant position in the transfer market (and by dominant position, I mean monopoly) saw us trail yet again and all but confirm the rapid shift in power. All the talk now was about ‘if the end of the 20th century was United’s, then the 21st will be Chelsea’s’.
We did however improve on last season’s no-show by coming second in the league on an impressive 83 points - making you believe that our final point’s total may have even been enough to win it another year - and winning the Carling Cup. I remember at the time talking to mates about how gaining an automatic Champions League place and wining a trophy was now classified as a ‘good season’ for United…my how the mighty had fallen.
But whereas on-field events were at times moderately positive yet generally (and yet again) average, 2005/06 was ALL about the off-field events…
…in other news. Right, where do we begin?? In June 2005 a fat American buys out our club; gradually increasing his shareholdings from 3% in 2003 to nearly 30% (the amount in which he would have to make a formal takeover bid) in October of 2004. By May of the following year it was up to 75% and then nearly the full amount (98%) by 28th June. The final valuation of the club was thought to be around £800million, but his bid was heavily financed; and so our club is now forced to repay the plunging debt, of which is up to around £700million with £60million a year being repayed in interest payments.
Next: on the 18th November 2005, Roy Keane left. The reasons for him leaving so abruptly at this odd moment in the season are still unclear and sceptical due to a number of factors: his comments on MUTV slating our fringe players after we were beaten 4-1 at the Riverside? The career-threatening injury he picked up against Liverpool in September (picture above)? It was all a bit baffling and impromptu, but if there was ever a way for the legend to leave, it was in this Cobain-esque ‘better to burn away than to fade away’ style. Volatile, shocking and enigmatic; just the way we loved him.
Then, to top off a crazy 2005, Georgie Best passed away on the 25th November*.
*(when looking for a picture of him, I found one of him on his deathbed but I was too sadened and, quite frankly, sickened to put it up. The man is the greatest and never deserves to be remembered in that way)
Players In.
van der Sar
Park
Vidic
Evra
Top 4:Chelsea – 91
United – 83
Liverpool – 82
Arsenal – 67
Bottom 4:
Portsmouth – 38
---------------------------------
Birmingham City – 34
West Brom – 30
Sunderland – 15
Player. Rooney; who won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the second year running, scored 19 in total.
Goal.
Van Nistelrooy's vs. Charlton (a), November 19th 2005. Rooney's run from the half-way line and outside-of-the-boot cross was received by Ruud on the chest; turning and smacking it in on the volley. World class play from the pair of them.
Remembered for?
The Chelsea win (h) on the 6th November was the best league win of the season. We had just been battered 4-1 at the Riverside a week earlier, and only a few days after that we lost in Lille in the Champions League, so when Chelsea came to OT - already 13 points ahead of us - noone thought there was any hope. A looping Fletcher header (picture above) was the difference as our dogged, determined display held off Mourinho's men.
Wasn’t too sure whether to put this in the 'remembered' or 'forget' section…but Rooney’s metatarsal.
As with Beckham’s before the last World Cup, was the summers hot point after he broke it at the away defeat to Chelsea in April, causing another ‘will he/won’t he’ scenario regarding his World Cup inclusion. Sticking with United and the World Cup, Ronaldo was vilified by the entire nation as, apparently, he was the sole reason for England not winning the World Cup…nothing to do with Rooney being deservedly sent-off for stamping on Carvalho’s balls. Or that England were generally shit. Nope. It was all about that f**king wink.
The Carling Cup Final was decent enough, with the tribute to ‘Smudge’ as we lifted the trophy being the highlight. Ronaldo was awesome, scoring one in the 4-0 victory over Wigan and showing us all that he has well and truly (physically) developed; from the skinny, lanky boy from Madeira, to this:
Also, Saha intriguingly wormed his way ahead of Van Nistelrooy – one of the club’s greatest, most prolific goal-scorers (although Ruud still managed 21 goals in the league). Fergie benched ‘the horse’ for 6 games in a row – including the League Cup final – and left him out entirely of our final game against Charlton. Angry at the exclusion, he ‘stormed out’ of the ground…never to return.
Best to forget...
The worst performances and results came in Europe, as we failed to reach the knock-out stages for the first time ever in the competition. Defeats and a series of draws against thoroughly beatable teams – Benfica, Lille and Villareal – saw us not make it past the New Year. In the Villareal away draw, we all remember Rooney infamously getting sent off for this:
Also, Liverpool knocking us out of the FA Cup Quarter final; doing this to Smudger in the process:
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