The morning after the end of the 1996/97 season, Eric Cantona walked into Sir Alex’s office up at the Cliff and wasted no time in confirming his decision to leave football. Sir Alex, though not wholly surprised, asked the Frenchman to explain. He revealed how he felt exploited by United’s merchandising department and how the club were not ambitious enough while bringing in new players. The fact that Ferguson would go on to break the English transfer record twice in the next decade was unknown to King Cantona.
So the King left. The music wouldn’t die, however. Old Trafford continued to echo to the ‘Marseillaise’ and ‘Ooh! Aah! Cantona!’. Cantona, like Busby, was immortal. The Frenchman’s departure coincided with the arrival of another. The latter however, went to North London, bought Marc Overmars, paired him with Bergkamp and gave United the sternest title challenge since Leeds in ’91.
But the title was always going to elude Sir Alex’s Reds next season. It was Arsenal who won the double, Arsenal who were playing the most fluent, attacking football since Keegan’s Newcastle and Arsenal who had the manager everyone was talking about.
United were handicapped by the loss of Roy Keane through a cruciate ligament tear in late September while trying to foul Alfie Halaand. And as the captain writhed in agony on the Elland Road pitch, Halaand accused him of feigning an injury to avoid a card. What he didn’t know however, was that Roy Keane never forgot anything and three years later, challenged him so roughly in a Manchester derby at Maine Road that he never touched a football again. So for those of you who’re wondering why Erling wouldn’t join United, there’s a reason.
But Fergie and United were going steady, nonetheless. They were 12 points clear of Arsenal when Wenger brought his boys over to Old Trafford winning through a goal by the near-unplayable Overmars and ultimately went on to lift the title at Highbury, beating Everton 4-0. The power had shifted south again. Wenger was lifting the club, bringing it in direct comparison with United in matters of both substance and style.
Ferguson tried replacing Cantona with Sheringham. At 31, he thought, Sheringham was good value for money at £3.1 million. Slow but crafty and generally good in the air. He paired with Cole and the pair had 40 goals between them that season with Solskjaer adding another seventeen off the bench but evidently, this wouldn’t be enough.
Nor was Europe of much encouragement to Ferguson. They had beaten Juventus 3-2 in the group stage but in the quarters, a scoreless draw at Monaco was followed by a 1-1 draw at home with Trezeguet scoring early against which, Solskjaer’s equaliser was too-little-too-late. Juventus marched on, however, losing eventually to Real Madrid in what was their 3rd final in four years. Guess who was to deny them a fourth. And guess who, at the same time was to put Arsenal in their place. After all, like his team, comebacks were in Sir Alex’s blood.
Hang on. The most dramatic of all of Fergie’s seasons with United is to follow.
To be continued, May 29th.
Into Added Time 