Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
Robins scored a winning goal in a tricky Third Round FA Cup tie at Forest when it was generally felt that they would go out and Fergie would lose his job - he’d been in charge for something like three or four ears then and there been no real sign of improvement, but after they won the Cup, all of the pressure he was under disappeared.
That 89/90 season was one where United struggled, were close to the relegation zone for most of it and had shown another season of decline under Ferguson. Liverpool lost a classic FA cup semi to Palace. Villa, unlikely league runners up, lost at Oldham on the plastic pitch. All the big sides fell away, leaving the door open for an average United side to win the cup after a replay. Mark Robins was a scoring sensation at the end of the season and kept them up.

The following season saw what I thought was a defining moment. Arsenal, unbeaten at home all season, played United in a league cup game at Highbury. United were 3-0 up in no time but Arsenal pulled it back to 3-2. United were scintillating in attack and won 6-2. Arsenal won the league, losing only once all season. They conceded 18 at home in the league all season and were unbeaten, yet in that one game they were absolutely battered. If I remember correctly, United played quite a few youngsters in that game. 2 years later they won the league.

United won the first PL with 84 points. That was for a 42 game season, which equates to 78 points for a 38 game season. Only once has the PL champions in a 38 game season won less than 78 points, ironically United in 1997