‘You win nothing with kids’, Alan Hansen concluded on Match of The Day, hours after United had been beaten 3-1 at Villa Park on opening day of the 95/96 season. While it was a reasonably sensible thing to say for a pundit, in saying so, not only had he overlooked the fact that a ridiculously young Ajax team had won the European Cup two months back but also the entire fabric of Manchester United of the pre-Munich era. Matt Busby’s Babes, double winners of ‘57 had 5 players aged 22 or less including a nineteen year old Bobby Charlton. Eight of the 11 who started the FA Cup final had made their debuts as teenagers.
The team which Ferguson started the 95/96 campaign with featured four players of 20 or less, the class of ‘92. lacking Ryan Giggs, by then twenty one. It included two bright fullbacks. Industrious, brave on the ball and robust. Although in Phil’s case, he was a right footed left back, something that would never sit well with some experts, he was but an understudy to Dennis Irwin. It also featured John O’Kane as a substitute. But a lean and upright kid with floppy hair caught everyone’s eye. David Beckham exuded a calm you seldom found in English footballers then. The class of ‘92 had arrived. To say ‘you win nothing with kids’ essentially goes against everything Manchester United stood for. Busby’s Babes won the FA Youth Cup in each of it’s first five seasons boasting the likes of Eddie Colman, David Pegg and Duncan Edwards.
David Beckham came on to score United’s goal in only his fifth United appearance replacing Phil Neville. O’Kane replaced Pallister, Butt and Scholes started as did both the Neville brothers. With these kids united lost 3-1. with these kids they won the next five in a row and then Eric returned from injury and took off from where he had left. The impact of Cantona’s return was not dramatic at first. Understandably. There was a rough patch leading to Boxing day where only three points were taken from 5 games leaving united 9 points adrift of leaders Newcastle having played a game more but the new year saw United make up the gap on the leaders who felt invigorated with keegan at the helm, with Keith Gillespiewhom Fergie had sent the other way to lure Andy Cole to Old Trafford. The glamorous David Ginola on the other wing with Peter Beardsley and Les Ferdinand up front. United’s surge in late February coincided with a dip in Newcastle’s form and United went to St.James Park and won through a Cantona goal. This was a part of a six-match run in which the Magpies dropped fourteen points and United dropping only two in eleven, overtook them. This sparked one of the most iconic pieces of television on the night of 29th April.
Kevin Keegan stood in the interview centre of Elland Road. Headphones and all. Three matches won in succession. Defiant, innit? Keegan, emotions rising recalled Ferguson’s complaints about the fixture arrangements and went on: ‘And we’re playing Forest on Thursday and he objected to that! We’re bigger than that.’
Richard Keys, playing devil’s advocate chirped in, ‘that’s psycology of the battle, isn’t it Kevin?’
By now he was emphasizing his points with a stabbing finger: ‘I’ve kept really quiet but I’ll tell you something – he went down in my estimation when he said that. We have nopt resorted to that. But I’ll tell him now if he’s watching. We’re still fighting for the title. And he’s got to go to Middlesbrough and get something. And I’ll tell you something — I’ll love it if we beat them. Love it.’
This entered football’s mythology as the rant that cost Newcastle the title. In fact, it was all but United’s as Keegan spoke. They needed a victory at Middlesbrough, their only game in seven days. As more than worthy champions, United proceeded to Wembley, where Cantona, already Footballer of the Year drove the only goal past David James in the Liverpool net.
The Double was theirs.
On this day in 1996, United put Middlesbrough to the sword to lift the title. With the kids.
Into Added Time 