remember when alan smith was our holding midfielder...

Originally Posted by The Watcher

2005/06 was a horrible season. £#%&!ing garbage. Rubbish football (for most of it) and off field drama almost every week.

It's almost ridiculous that Sir Alex and the team managed to turn it round during the summer and win back our title the following season. Amazing actually.

Smith in midfield ffs! Looking back, you have to laugh at the madness of it all

Red issue was £#%&!ing crazy. Lists of midfielders that were better than Fletch in the league. 2 from every team getting named..sir addled the @#%&!. Rio - wgt. Overrated @#%&!. £#%&! me evra is shit. Wes was our top defender for about 3 months! When he was dropped on evras debut, the outcry!

And the famous 'gamst pedersen and diop in January please' thread. Pages of agreement.

Makoun, he sounds good..GET HIM IN! Bodmar? Oh yes please! I can't believe that was only a few years back.

Originally Posted by stickman

Fred Tissue was £#%&!ing crazy. Lists of midfielders that were better than fletch in the league. 2 from every team getting named..sir addled the @#%&!. Rio - wgt. Overrated @#%&!. £#%&! me evra is shit. Wes was our top defender for about 3 months! When he was dropped on evras debut, the outcry!

And the famous 'gamst pedersen and diop in january please' thread. Pages of agreement.

Makoun, he sounds good..get him in! Bodmar? Oh yes please! I can't believe that was only a few years back.

Originally Posted by Stickman

Red issue was £#%&!ing crazy. Lists of midfielders that were better than Fletch in the league. 2 from every team getting named..sir addled the @#%&!. Rio - wgt. Overrated @#%&!. £#%&! me evra is shit. Wes was our top defender for about 3 months! When he was dropped on evras debut, the outcry!

And the famous 'gamst pedersen and diop in January please' thread. Pages of agreement.

Makoun, he sounds good..GET HIM IN! Bodmar? Oh yes please! I can't believe that was only a few years back.

Reo Coker was the new Paul Ince! And lets not forget how many (including man so called intelligent) forumistas wer calling for Paul Le Guen to replace Sir Alex

Originally Posted by Stickman

Red issue was £#%&!ing crazy. Lists of midfielders that were better than Fletch in the league. 2 from every team getting named..sir addled the @#%&!. Rio - wgt. Overrated @#%&!. £#%&! me evra is shit. Wes was our top defender for about 3 months! When he was dropped on evras debut, the outcry!

And the famous 'gamst pedersen and diop in January please' thread. Pages of agreement.

Makoun, he sounds good..GET HIM IN! Bodmar? Oh yes please! I can't believe that was only a few years back.

That sound very familiar to current scouse and City boards

Originally Posted by Stickman

Red issue was £#%&!ing crazy. Lists of midfielders that were better than Fletch in the league. 2 from every team getting named..sir addled the @#%&!. Rio - wgt. Overrated @#%&!. £#%&! me evra is shit. Wes was our top defender for about 3 months! When he was dropped on evras debut, the outcry!

And the famous 'gamst pedersen and diop in January please' thread. Pages of agreement.

Makoun, he sounds good..GET HIM IN! Bodmar? Oh yes please! I can't believe that was only a few years back.

To get us from that to winning back to back league titles and the European Cup was a ridiculous feat. One of SAFs finest achievments IMO. He made literally ALL the right moves from the end of that season onwards in terms of player ins and outs.

Originally Posted by Nero

He made literally ALL the right moves from the end of that season onwards in terms of player ins and outs.

I'd say from the January 2006 transfer window, when he bought in Vidic and Evra. Many felt Brown and Henzie were good enough for those positions and didn't need strengthening. Even I couldn't believe we didn't get a midfielder in then!

But the best thing he did that season was the decision to build the next United side around Ronaldo, therefore hastening the departure of both Keane and Ruud. For me, that was as big a gamble as promoting the kids in 1995/96. Seems obvious now, but at the time many (including a large number of our own "fans") were openly questioning whether Ronaldo would ever live up to his potential, never mind lead us to domestic and European glory.

Thank £#%&! for Sir Alex

Originally Posted by The Watcher

I'd say from the January 2006 transfer window, when he bought in Vidic and Evra. Many felt Brown and Henzie were good enough for those positions and didn't need strengthening. Even I couldn't believe we didn't get a midfielder in then!

But the best thing he did that season was the decision to build the next United side around Ronaldo, therefore hastening the departure of both Keane and Ruud. For me, that was as big a gamble as promoting the kids in 1995/96. Seems obvious now, but at the time many (including a large number of our own "fans") were openly questioning whether Ronaldo would ever live up to his potential, never mind lead us to domestic and European glory.

Thank £#%&! for Sir Alex

Very true. They were key additions that were seen by many at the time as completely unnecessary. The bitching about those two purchases was widerife (copyright Chris Morris)

Originally Posted by The Watcher

I'd say from the January 2006 transfer window, when he bought in Vidic and Evra. Many felt Brown and Henzie were good enough for those positions and didn't need strengthening. Even I couldn't believe we didn't get a midfielder in then!

But the best thing he did that season was the decision to build the next United side around Ronaldo, therefore hastening the departure of both Keane and Ruud. For me, that was as big a gamble as promoting the kids in 1995/96. Seems obvious now, but at the time many (including a large number of our own "fans") were openly questioning whether Ronaldo would ever live up to his potential, never mind lead us to domestic and European glory.

Thank £#%&! for Sir Alex

I have to admit I doubted ronaldo. Felt that if we got an offer of 20m I'd want him sold. Thought he was far too unpredictable and in that I mean I thought he was really £#%&!ing off his team mates with his decisions.

Good omen for nani I suppose then

Back to red ish circa 05 though.. the in fighting was bordering on insane. Everyone hated everyone, there was a real feel good factor about being doomy and the birth of anyone saying anything remotely positive being labelled a gaylord! Fergie apologist was another classic.

I was hooked then, that's what's crazy, the board was compelling when we looked shit. People were genuinely concerned wed finish outside the top 4! Pure was going mental about Phil being sold. Calling fergie all sorts. Liverpool fans predicting our demise finally happening and lapping it up were hit with obscene abuse. £#%&! rios winner was the highlight of that season. Richardson playing left back. Oshea and giggs finishing the season as our strongest cm pairing.

Originally Posted by Stickman

I have to admit I doubted ronaldo. Felt that if we got an offer of 20m I'd want him sold. Thought he was far too unpredictable and in that I mean I thought he was really £#%&!ing off his team mates with his decisions.

Good omen for nani I suppose then

Back to red ish circa 05 though.. the in fighting was bordering on insane. Everyone hated everyone, there was a real feel good factor about being doomy and the birth of anyone saying anything remotely positive being labelled a gaylord! Fergie apologist was another classic.

I was hooked then, that's what's crazy, the board was compelling when we looked shit. People were genuinely concerned wed finish outside the top 4! Pure was going mental about Phil being sold. Calling fergie all sorts. Liverpool fans predicting our demise finally happening and lapping it up were hit with obscene abuse. £#%&! rios winner was the highlight of that season. Richardson playing left back. Oshea and giggs finishing the season as our strongest cm pairing.

I was regularly called a Fergie apologist, Glazerite and a Ronaldo fan boy! Like you say, great days

The forum went insane after we lost the Cup game at Anfield. I didn't log on till a few days after (was in Barca the weekend of the game) and it was kicking off in almost every thread. I think my Sopranos thread was an island of clam in an ocean of madness

Originally Posted by The Watcher

I'd say from the January 2006 transfer window, when he bought in Vidic and Evra. Many felt Brown and Henzie were good enough for those positions and didn't need strengthening. Even I couldn't believe we didn't get a midfielder in then!

Yep. The failure to sign a high quality central midfielder over the span of about three transfer windows when it was blatantly obvious that we needed one was the only area where I really strongly took issue with Fergie during that period. That and the related subject of his keeping Keane at the club when it was increasingly clear that he was past it.

Was a big fan of Evra at Monaco, and was quite impressed by the little I'd seen of Vidic, but couldn't for the life of me understand why we'd blown our seemingly minute and ever shrinking transfer budget on two defenders when it was apparent to anyone with half a brain that our greatest problems were in midfield.

But the best thing he did that season was the decision to build the next United side around Ronaldo, therefore hastening the departure of both Keane and Ruud. For me, that was as big a gamble as promoting the kids in 1995/96. Seems obvious now, but at the time many (including a large number of our own "fans") were openly questioning whether Ronaldo would ever live up to his potential, never mind lead us to domestic and European glory.

Absolutely. It looks like an easy decision now, but at the time it was anything but. As I recall, from maybe the beginning of 04/05 right through to the middle of 06/07 there would be people completely slating Ronaldo after virtually every match - saying that he'd never be as good as Rooney, that he hadn't progressed at all since he arrived at the club, and that he'd never fulfil his potential.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Reo Coker was the new Paul Ince! And lets not forget how many (including man so called intelligent) forumistas wer calling for Paul Le Guen to replace Sir Alex

I remember quite a few people were gutted when Gravesen went to Madrid too

can i just say i was fully behind ronaldo and was called ronaldos bitch on the sanctuary.

i remember not understanding why we had bought two defenders when there wasnt really a problem with our defence in comparison to our midfield.

wasnt the summer of 06 when that article about us finishing 5th or 6th come out???

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

I remember quite a few people were gutted when Gravesen went to Madrid too

I think Nani is going through the same 'he's a show-pony' shite that Ronaldo went through.


Very similar situations imo.

the day alan smith signed showed at the time how far ferie had fell behind in captures for the team ..

one player which turned us round was carrick one of fergies better midfield buys

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

. As I recall, from maybe the beginning of 04/05 right through to the middle of 06/07 there would be people completely slating Ronaldo after virtually every match - saying that he'd never be as good as Rooney, that he hadn't progressed at all since he arrived at the club, and that he'd never fulfil his potential.

A mate of mine, Charlton supporter (), at that time referred to him as "Jim Ronaldo" as in, he's a pale imitation of the "real" fat ronaldo. How we laugh now...

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

I remember quite a few people were gutted when Gravesen went to Madrid too

I think it was a question of people being desperaate to get somebody, anybody, in for that role rather than Gravesen being rated so highly.

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

Was a big fan of Evra at Monaco, and was quite impressed by the little I'd seen of Vidic, but couldn't for the life of me understand why we'd blown our seemingly minute and ever shrinking transfer budget on two defenders when it was apparent to anyone with half a brain that our greatest problems were in midfield.

Evra definitely stood out as a class act in Monaco's run to the European Cup final. However, like you, I really thought we should be concentrating on getting midfielders in before signing a left back! I'd never seen Vidic play and couldn't understand why we'd signed him. I've always been a big fan of Wes Brown's and was in favour of him staying at CB with Rio. Thank £#%&! I aint the manager

Originally Posted by marlo stansfield

wasnt the summer of 06 when that article about us finishing 5th or 6th come out???

Rob Smyth in The Guardian. To be honest, at the time I completely agreed with his article. We'd been so far behind Chelsea the previous season, I couldn't see how the sole addition of Carrick would take us to title challengers. But a combination of factors (Scholes return to form, Ronaldo, Vidic & Rio's partnership amongst others) led us to glory. With hindsight, there was a hint of what was to come at the back end of 05/06, when we played some great stuff - before getting @#%&!ed at SB

For all Alex Fergusons triumphs, I'd have to say this is amongst his greatest. From the depths of Lisbon 2005 to Moscow 2008, it really was an incredible turn around.

lisbon was a nightmare.

what a mess. remember rudd gullit in the studio amazed/speechless at how poor we were....

alan smith was our holding midfielder. it was amazing. he would just run around breaking up play and since that was a slight upgrade on what we were getting from keane we were all happy to see him there.