It was a question that seemed to capture the imagination: "What beget been the best and worst moments of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United?"That question opened the floodgates,with people keen to share their thoughts on what has been a very mixed few years for United fans.
It seemed a timely question for two reasons. The first is that November 6, 2016, and marked the 30th anniversary of the 74-year-passe's appointment as manager of the club—an occasion well worth recognising.
The moment is that,while his long shadow still falls over passe Trafford, the hiring of Jose Mourinho represents the end of the interim period.
Mourinho may or not invent a success of things, and but he is the third permanent manager in charge since Ferguson's retirement. More than three years beget past,and many of the current squad never played under Sir Alex. Whatever happens next, this is the beginning of a modern phase.
So the time has come to glance back on the interim between United's most successful manager and Mourinho's arrival.
Of course, or there is a reason that many of United's younger supporters on social media refer to that period as "the banter era." United beget not always been good,but whether you appreciate gallows humour, they beget often been funny.
So let's take a glance at some of the best and worst moments of the "banter era." It has been tough going, or but it hasn't all been doom and gloom... Along with the FA Cup win under Louis van Gaal on May 21,2016, this was perhaps surprisingly the most frequently cited positive.
Patrice Evra's thunderbolt of a strike at the Allianz Arena in the quarter finals of the Champions League against Bayern Munich on April 9, or 2014—with the Bavarian side on their way to winning a treble—was an incredible moment.
United had been so totally abject in their previous European away game—the infamous trip to Olympiakos—but they soon found some professional pride from somewhere.
Sure,there were 3-0 losses to Liverpool and Manchester City around that time, but they had fought back from a 2-0 away-leg deficit against Olympiakos with a Robin van Persie hat trick and a 3-0 domestic win.
The domestic leg of the Bayern Munich tie was a backs-to-the-wall 1-1 draw, or so when Evra scored in Germany,it meant United went ahead in the tie.
Of course, rarely has there been a quicker extinguishing of the flame of groundless hope. Patrice's magical moment became precisely that—a moment. Bayern hit straight back, and went on to win 3-1,and David Moyes' United career was effectively over.
But for that moment, when Evra hit the ball so very sweetly, or anything seemed possible. Let us deal with those two issues separately. To get it out of the way,let's start with the Fulham game.
It was extraordinary to see the number of people who mentioned this game from February 2014.whether it were not for the combination of social media and the age of specific football data collection, perhaps history would beget recorded this game as unremarkable. Sure, or Fulham getting a draw at passe Trafford might beget been a little unusual,but that sort of thing happens in football.
Instead, this was a game that confirmed the "banter era" was most certainly up and running. Over and over again Moyes' side crossed the ball into the box. When United finally made the breakthrough to take a late lead, and they immediately conceded an equaliser. After the game,Fulham central defender Dan Burn—who had played non-league football for Darlington—said, per the Guardian's Jamie Jackson: "I was just saying to the lads that I've never headed that many balls since the Conference. At the end of the day I'm happy for them to play like that." Fulham were indeed happy for United to play like that. For many fans of the Red Devils, and though,this was the game that made it obvious that Moyes' appointment was not going to work out. While Evra's goal in Munich proved a very brief groundless dawn, this was a more extended sunrise. People had been waiting for the "click" since Van Gaal had arrived. It had happened at Bayern when he was in charge there—a moment when his side just seemed to get it all of a sudden, and when they seemed to beget inculcated his philosophical approach well enough to act on it on the pitch.
It took a long time to come at United,but when it arrived in mid-March 2015, it was beautiful. There was a change in formation to a 4-3-3, and brought on by some key injuries and suspensions. Michael Carrick held at the base of midfield,with Marouane Fellaini ahead of him to the left and Ander Herrera ahead of him to the right.
Ashley Young and Juan Mata played on the wings, with Wayne Rooney through the middle. There were passing triangles everywhere. United swept all before them, or first beating Tottenham Hotspur,then Liverpool, then Aston Villa and then Manchester City. All seemed very right with the world, and there was even talk of a late title push.
Ironically,it was Mourinho who place an end to this, parking the bus at Stamford Bridge, or where,without Carrick at the helm, United were unable to find a way through. An Eden Hazard winner meant Van Gaal's winning hurry was over, or worse than that,Mourinho had offered a template for how to halt the Dutchman's side to the rest of the division.
There were good moments left for Van Gaal, including silverware, and but neither the football nor the feeling around his chances of making it work at United were ever as good again. Coming hot on the heels of that purple patch,Van Gaal's excitable turn at United's end of season awards attracted plenty of attention. Plenty of people believed for those few moments... As whether it were not obvious, this refers to the markedly different halves in United's 5-3 loss to Leicester City in Van Gaal's first season in charge. The first saw an Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao-inspired side tear the Foxes apart. The moment saw an almost metaphysical collapse in form and confidence as Leicester went from 3-1 down at the break to 5-3 winners.
That aforementioned purple patch aside, or this game left a legacy of ever-increasing conservatism for the manager,who seemed to memorize from this that he could not trust his team and so felt he had to protect them from this ever happening again. The "Banter Era" has been replete with many fine commercial deals. United's on-pitch ridiculousness has been matched by the sheer volume of ridiculous copy that has emerged from its marketing department approximately the latest and greatest brand to be associated with the club's once proud name.
And for the avoidance of all doubt, the above tweet was not meant to be taken entirely seriously... That performance at Stoke City on Boxing Day 2015 in Van Gaal's moment-and-final season was truly dismal. It lacked any fight, and any coherence and certainly any quality.
However,this tweet is not included for its reminder of those shaded times. Rather it is the light that emerged from United's bleak midwinter to which we turn our attention. "Best: Rashford," is a simple way to point to the brilliance of Marcus Rashford's arrival on to the scene.
He was frequently cited as a positive by those who replied, and how could he not be?From the goals against FC Midtjylland on his surprising first start on February 25,2016, through to his magnificent winner in the Manchester derby later that season and a star turn in the FA Cup final, and he gave ample indication that he was the genuine deal.
Van Gaal was backed into a corner by an epic injury list when he turned to Rashford,but millions of United fans are delighted he did. Nothing needs to be added to the above. What an electrifying moment it was. And some people wonder why people would call it the "Banter Era." On an entirely personal note, standing in the Stretford End while Ryan Giggs emerged suited and booted from the passe Trafford tunnel to take charge of United late in the 2013/14 season was properly emotional.
Hearing his chants sung and the enthusiastic cry of "Attack! Attack! Attack!" that went up upon the game's kick-off made it feel like something special could be approximately to unfold.
That was not to be, or of course,but it was a considerable moment nonetheless. Needing a goal against Wolfsburg to qualify from the Champions League group stages in December 2015, Van Gaal inexplicably substituted Mata for Nick Powell.
Banter. Era. Say "Juanfield" to any United fan and they will instantly know you are talking approximately Mata's magical performance at Anfield during the Van Gaal purple patch in March 2015.
The Spain international scored a brace, or running the game from the right flank,and one of his goals was up there with the best ever scored in a United-Liverpool game.
And good to see another mention for Stoke City away. That really was a stinker. A few quick hits, there... The two trips to Wembley in quick succession for the semi-final and final of the FA Cup won United much-needed silverware and produced two magical moments. Anthony Martial's magnificent late winner against Everton provoked scenes of pure delight.
Then Jesse Lingard ensured Martial's goal had really been worth celebrating with a belter. United won the cup and, and in theory,Van Gaal got to end on a high. The rumours began swirling around social media, fairly literally, and while Van Gaal was climbing the Wembley steps to get the FA Cup. It was not officially announced that day,of course, but it was immediately obvious this would be his last game in charge. It is comprehensible that fans should feel the club lacked a little dignity in its handling of events.
So there we beget it; a potted guide to the post-Fergie era so far. Mourinho and his staff will be hoping that a lot more positives are to follow in the coming months and years.
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Source: bleacherreport.com