As a Manchester United fan, one is bound to have witnessed many matches over the years, where United have defied all odds to snatch victories when they looked destined to lose. Sir Alex drilled this mentality in his team, and that is why most goals scored in the dying minutes are referred to as ‘Fergie Time’ goals.
Let’s take a look at some of the most difficult of comebacks that looked possible but were dealt with by the Red Devils-
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool (1999 FA Cup Fourth Round)
Let’s start with the match that laid the foundations of the year United won the Treble. Five months prior to that spine-chilling win over Bayern in Barcelona, United defeated their bitter rivals in emphatic style. Owen put Liverpool up after just two minutes but Yorke grabbed the equaliser in the 88th minute. The match was going towards a replay but Solskjaer had other ideas, as his winner in the last minute stunned the entire stadium. Bayern should’ve kept an eye on this Baby Faced Assassin before the UCL Final, right?
Manchester United 5-3 Tottenham (2001-02 Premier League)
You probably remember this match for Sir Alex’s- “Lads, it’s Tottenham” half-time talk.
United were no match for a high-flying Tottenham side, and went into the break trailing by 3 goals. However, United made an unlikely effort to come back into the game, and Andy Cole’s penalty just after the restart instigated a sensational performance, which was wrapped up by Beckham’s late goal after Veron’s goal which had put United up.
Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich (1999 Champions League Final)
Who doesn’t know about this match? United were on the verge of losing their biggest game of the decade, and Basler’s goal in the 6th minute looked to have thwarted United, who were suppressed for most of the match. However, unexpected goals from Sheringham and Solskjaer snatched the victory from Bayern’s hand in stunning fashion, as they won the treble for the first time. Both teams were playing for the treble, but it was United that ran away winners in front of 90000 spectators.
Manchester United 4-2 West Ham United (2010-11 Premier League)
The most important match in United’s league campaign, and after relegation-threatened West Ham were up 2-0, United were almost losing up on their top spot. However, United got their first real chance in the 64th minute, and they didn’t really look back after that. Rooney completed a swift hat-trick in just 14 minutes, while Hernandez rounded off the game with the fourth of the night. United effectively remained on top of the pile, and went on to win the 19th league title, beating second placed Chelsea by 9 points.
Manchester United 3-2 Juventus (1999 UCL Semi-Final)
After a dominant but a 1-1 draw against Sir Alex’s men, Juve ran to a quick 2-0 lead in just 11 minutes of the second leg. However, goals from Roy Keane and Andy Cole ensured that a far from elite looking United squad managed to reach the Final, leading to a huge loss in the betting industry, who were all certain of Juve’s triumph. After this performance, Bayern should’ve been vary of United’s deadly comebacks, which came to bite them back, as already covered above, in the final minutes of the Finale.
Manchester United 3-3 Chelsea (2011-12 Premier League)
United looked like an amateur side as Chelsea cruised to a huge 3-0 lead, and even when the match wasn’t too crucial for their title chances, United somehow managed to score three goals in the space of 20 minutes, with Rooney converting two penalties and Hernandez scoring a bullet header. There were allegations from Chelsea fans that the Refs favoured United, but what really mattered was that United managed to save the game and also come back with a point. #ThereWillBeHaters
Manchester United 4-2 Everton (2006-07 Premier League)
The match which went on to bring home the league after a drought of four years. United were three points clear of defending champions Chelsea with three games to go, and when Everton went 2-0, it looked like Chelsea were now back in the race. However, United had other ideas. Goals from O’Shea, Chris Eagles, Rooney and an own goal from Phil Neville helped United go five points clear, and ended United’s “disastrous” league title drought.