Season 1990/1991
Season 1990/1991
Season 1991/1992
United lift the European Super Cup with
a single goal victory over Red Star Belgrade. The Reds also triumph
in the League Cup with a single goal victory over Nottingham Forest.
Both derby games were drawn. United finish 2nd in the League Reid
sells Michael Hughes, now with West Ham United, for a small fee.
Although Hughes is a talented player, City fans get a bit carried away;
one fanzine cover proclaims he is better than Giggs. He wasn't then
and he isn't now. Hughes later goes to Strasbourg. Strasbourg
fans, upon hearing that they have signed M.Hughes from Manchester are delighted.
Then they realise that it wasn't Mark Hughes.
Talented defender Colin Hendry, who later
starred in Blackburn's championship winning side, is 750,000 pound.
Lowly Reading knock City out of the FA Cup but the club finish a
respectable 5th in the top flight. As United squander the
League in the final weeks of the season, City chairman Peter Swales is
quoted: "City were the last Manchester team to win the League and we'll
be the next." The next headline on the article is "Watch Out United."
Remember Malcolm Allison? "We're going to terrorise Europe," he said
back in 1968. That was after City won the League, but before they
lost in the first round of the European Cup to Fenerbahce.
Season 1992/1993
Eric Cantona makes his first appearance as
a United player when he comes on as a sub in the December derby against
City. United score straight away and win 2-1. The away derby
is drawn. United are the Premiership Champions for the first time
in 26 years. A huge party for 50,000 fans are held at Old Trafford
when Unitedbeat Blackburn 3-1on the final day of the season. City
reach the 6th round of the FA Cup, before Tottenham knock them out 4-2
and City fans invade the pitch in an attempt to have the game abandoned.
The campaign to oust the chairman, Peter Swales, reaches fever pitch.
City finish 9th in the League.
Season 1993/1994
In the derby games,United recover from a 2-0
deficitat Maine Road to win 3-2 with Cantona getting two and
Keane grabbing a dramatic late winner. Cantona bags a brace in the
Old Trafford derby as United win 2-0. United achieve the Premiership
and FA Cup double. The respected Peter Reid is sacked as
manager just a few games into the season. John Maddock, a journalist,
is employed as general manager, Brian Horton as the new boss. The
'Swales Out' campaign goes into overdrive with the fans wanting old favourite
Fancis Lee to take over the club. As it becomes apparent that Lee
will take charge an article appears in theManchester Evening News suggesting
that Lee's input will make Jack Walkers Blackburn contribution seem likepeanuts.
Lees consortium take control. Cardiff knock City out of the FA Cup.
City finish 16th in the League.
Season 1994/1995
United beat City 5-0 at OT, Ander Kanchelskis
netting a superb hat-trick. The derby double is completed with an
easy 3-0 victory at Maine Road in February. United are runners-up
in the Premiership, and beaten finalists in the FA Cup Final.
Ambitious plans are published showing the Maine Road of the future a hybrid
of the San Siro in Milan and the Nou Camp in Barcelona only in Moss Side.
City finish 17th in the League.
Season 1995/1996
In the derbies, United beat City twice in the
League and for good measure, knock them out of the FA Cup in the fifth
round. They also become the first club to win the double on two
accasions. Brian Horton is sacked. City stalwart Tony Book
Briefly takes charge prior to Alan Ball's appointment. Ball succeeds
in selling all the best players (Keith Curle,
Tony Coton, Niall Quinn and Terry Phelan)
to cut the size of the Squad and trim the wage bill. The end result
is a bigger squad with less experience--hardly the right ingredients for
a club with big ideas. Despite fighting relegation, City see sense
in selling star player Gary Flitcoft to Blackburn for 3.2 million pounds.
City set a Premiership record of scoring the fewest goals in a seasons;
just 33 in 38 League games. Relegation comes on the final day of
the season, after a homw draw with Liverpool. Needing a win to stay
up, Alan Ball signals to Steve Lomas to Waste time thinking that a 2-2
draw will be enough for the club to stay up. It isn't. City
go down.
Season 1996/1997
With City relegated and no derby matches to
contest, United concentrateon dominating the Premiershipb winning it for
the fourth time in five years. They also reach the semi finals of
the European Cup. Alan Ball is sacked. Asa Hartford
is appointed as temporary manager as he doesn't want the job full-time.
StevenCoppell accepts the job as manager, but 33 days later decides he
doesn't want it and resigns. Third division Lincoln City knock
City out of the Coca-Cola Cup. Phil Neal takes over as caretaker
manager before Frank Clarkis appointed. Tony Book, who was been at
City in more fortunate times are sarcked by the club. Middlesbrough
Knock City out of the FA Cup at the fifth roundstage.
Season 1997/1998
As United Chase success in the Premiership,
the FA Cup and the Quarter finals of the European Cup, playing
to capacity crowds, City are fighting relegation to the Second Division
for the first time in thier history. Record signing 3.5million pounds
striker Lee Bradbury joins from Portsmouth only to get injured after
a hanful of games. Some City fans drop the r's from his surname to
rename him 'Badbuy'. Another possible Wembley run falters at the
first hundle as City go crashing out of the Coca-ColaCup to Second
Division Blackpool. The FA Cup run comes to an end, this time to
West Ham at home in the fourth round. In typical fashion, City come
from a goal behind, miss a chance to take the lead with a penalty, then
concede another goal to a player they'd sold the year before. In
the League, City drop to their lowest ever position, some 40 places below
United.
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