Manchester United finish the season without major silverware for a first time since 2005 and naturally the season should be classified as a major disappointment. However, the Red Devils actually got better results that they were expected throughout the season and only have themselves to blame for not claiming their 20th league title. The season started with great optimism at Old Trafford and an enjoyable 3:2 win over City in the Community Shield was followed by two superb performances at home against Tottenham and Arsenal in which United played with gusto, verve and real desire to get as many goals as they can. The Gunners were mercilessly routed 8:2 and a 5:0 win at Bolton in September maintained the momentum. The defence looked a bit creaky but the goals were flowing and all seemed right with the world at that moment. However, stumbling performances away at Stoke and Liverpool were followed by a flabbergasting 6:1 loss at home to Manchester City that will leave long in the memory of those who saw it. United looked total shambles at the back and one was wondering how they would recover from that shock. Alex Ferguson rallied the troops and steadied the ship defensively and the Red Devils dropped just two points from their next two games which kept them at a manageable distance behind City. However, another shock came in December in the Champions League after a 2:1 loss at Basel meant that United finished third in their group and failed to reach the knockout stages for a first time since 2005. Given the simplicity of the group, it was a real setback and a lesson for Ferguson and his men not to take European games so lightly. In the league, back-to-back defeats to Blackburn and Newcastle kept the Red Devils on the back foot in the race for the title but just when the talk of a crisis and an end of an era emerged again, the team came up with a big 3:2 win at Manchester City in the FA Cup that boosted confidence. That game saw the shock return from retirement of Paul Scholes who became the key man in midfield in the second half of the season. United would enter their best run of form after his return and won 11 out of their next 12 games in the league. They came back from three goals down to claim a draw at Chelsea, defeated Spurs away and also got the better of Liverpool which meant that they were clear at the top in late March. At that point the title seemed theirs and they enjoyed an eight-point lead at Easter. And then the collapse began as first Wigan shocked the Reds to win 1:0 and then United threw away a two-goal lead at home to Everton to only draw 4:4. That meant that a defeat away at Manchester City will put them second and a meek performance in that game saw a narrow 1:0 loss with United failing to hit the target. It was a soul-destroying way to lose the title and the Red Devils did not deserve anything on the basis of that performance. It was gutting for their fans to become the first team in the Premier League to get that many points and lose the title and also become the first to lose it on goal difference but in a way Ferguson did a great job of making an average squad get much better results than expected and will need to do that again next season in the face of an even stronger challenge by their cross-city rivals.
