Review of United's Year 2005
Welcome to the first part of our review of United's year - one of the most eventful in the club's illustrious history.
Here we take a look at the first four months, which document United's crumbling 2004/2005 Premiership campaign, the tempestuous encounter against Arsenal at Highbury, and the early rumblings of the Malcolm Glazer takeover.
Jan 1
Middlesbrough 0 United 2
DARREN Fletcher and Ryan Giggs grabbed the goals that enabled Manchester United to maintain their relentless pursuit of Chelsea and Arsenal with a comfortable win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
Jan 4
RIO Ferdinand may be fast-tracked to a new Manchester United contract in the summer amid renewed speculation of a big money bid from Chelsea. By July the Reds' £30m defender will have completed three of the five years on the deal he signed in 2002 when he joined for a record transfer fee from Leeds United. It is not normal Old Trafford policy to start negotiations over new terms
until a player's current contracts have around 18 months left to run.
Manchester United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0
TOTTENHAM were robbed of their first Old Trafford victory for 16 years by an atrocious blunder from a referee's assistant - but Manchester United's Barclays Premiership title charge was still blown off course by tonight's stalemate. With time running out, Roy Carroll rushed well out of his area to make a clearance. After a brief flurry around the half-way line, the ball eventually fell to Pedro Mendes who from fully 60 yards launched a shot at the United goal as the home goalkeeper tried to recover his ground. The Northern Irishman managed that task but then dropped the ball behind him, with TV replays showing it landed a yard over the line.
Jan 8
FA Cup: Manchester United 0 Exeter City 0
MIGHTY Manchester United face the humiliating prospect of an FA Cup visit to Exeter on January 18 after the plucky non-leaguers wrote themselves into the history books at Old Trafford.
Jan 12
Chelsea 0 Manchester United 0
MANCHESTER United held Chelsea to a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final.
Jan 13
Jose takes swipe at Sir Alex
JOSE Mourinho accused Sir Alex Ferguson of influencing referee Neale Barry with a half-time tete-a-tete as his Chelsea side had to settle for a Carling Cup draw with Manchester United. The Blues boss was fuming at Ferguson accompanying Barry down the tunnel and claimed the official gave the visitors favourable decisions during the rest of the game, accusing United of diving to gain them.
Jan 15
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1
WAYNE Rooney was ten-man United's hero after an error of judgement by Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek allowed the visitors to complete a double over their north-west rivals. United showed the class and quality required to beat Liverpool both at home
and away for the second time in three seasons, but they were also grateful for Dudek's mistake.
Jan 19
Exeter 0 Manchester United 2
MANCHESTER United kept their nerve on a tense and windswept night to beat battling Exeter and progress to the FA Cup fourth round. Cristiano Ronaldo put the Reds ahead after just nine minutes of the replay and the visitors looked to be on cruise control. The nerves were finally settled in the 87th minute when Wayne Rooney rounded goalkeeper Paul Jones to seal the tie.
Jan22
Manchester United 3 Aston Villa 1
REDS hitman Louis Saha scored his first league goal of the season as United overcame a first half wobble to secure their ninth win in eleven Premiership matches. Cristiano Ronaldo had given Sir Alex Ferguson's men the flying start they were seeking, only for Gareth Barry to smash a perfect United defensive record stretching to almost 14 hours not long after the re-start. After a few brief moments of panic, Louis Saha restored order with his first league goal of the campaign before Paul Scholes netted a minute later to seal the Red Devils ninth win in 11 Premiership outings.
Jan 26
Manchester United 1 Chelsea 2
FOR the second time in nine months, Jose Mourinho sauntered into the Theatre of Dreams and created a nightmare for Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson still shudders at the memory of Porto's shock Champions League victory at his side's expense last season. Now Mourinho has moved much closer to home and proceeded to wreck Ferguson's impeccable domestic semi-final record tonight as Damien Duff's late winner booked Chelsea a Carling Cup final date with Liverpool and kept them on target for an unlikely quadruple.
Jan 29
United 3 Boro 0
WAYNE Rooney scored two stunning second-half goals to fire Manchester United into the FA Cup fifth round and leave Middlesbrough gasping in disbelief. Boro were still clinging on to an outside hope of a replay midway through the second period until Rooney seized command with a brilliant brace which will be talked about for years to come. Rooney's stunning late efforts eclipsed what looked sure to be a man-of-the-match display from fellow teenager Cristiano Ronaldo, who toyed with the Teessiders for over an hour and producing a masterclass which left a capacity crowd purring in appreciation.
Feb 1
Arsenal 2 Manchester United 4
MANCHESTER United effectively ended Arsenal's title hopes after a titanic tussle at Highbury. Even though Mikael Silvestre was sent off with 20 minutes left of a tempestuous encounter that was fuelled by bad blood, Sir Alex Ferguson's side still held on for a notable victory. Despite going behind twice at Highbury as Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp scored, United still equalised through Ryan Giggs and then Cristiano Ronaldo. With Ronaldo putting United ahead, not even Silvestre's red card was enough to deflect them from their path, with John O'Shea rounding off victory with a chip after a breathless encounter.
Keane explains Vieira tunnel row
MANCHESTER United skipper Roy Keane revealed his pre-match tunnel spat with Patrick Vieira was sparked because the Arsenal skipper was "having a go" at Gary Neville.
Glazer plays down reports
MALCOLM Glazer has distanced himself from recent `informed' speculation that he was about to launch another bid for Manchester United.
Feb 5
Manchester United 2 Birmingham 0
ROY Keane's 50th Manchester United goal capped an awesome individual performance against battling Birmingham and ensured the Red Devils kept up the pressure on leaders Chelsea.
Feb 13
Man City 0 Man United 2
WAYNE Rooney propelled Manchester United back to within nine points of Premiership leaders Chelsea with a derby-day man of the match display in the 2-0 win over Manchester City at Eastlands. Always the major Red Devils attacking threat, Rooney put the visitors in
front midway through the second period when his attempt to steer home Gary Neville's cross flicked into the net off Richard Dunne. And Dunne was the unlucky man again eight minutes later when, at full stretch trying to deal with Rooney's looping cross, he could only guide the ball into the far corner.
Feb 19
Everton 0 Manchester United 2
WAYNE Rooney's return to Everton took second place to an impressive Manchester United display as they cruised into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Although all the pre-match hype was over Rooney's return to Goodison Park, it was Quinton Fortune and Cristiano Ronaldo who scored the goals for United.
Feb 23
Manchester United 0 AC Milan 1
MANCHESTER United’s recurring goalkeeping nightmare returned to haunt them at Old Trafford as Roy Carroll’s howler sent the Red Devils spinning to the brink of Champions League elimination. When Carroll spilled Clarence Seedorf’s drive at the feet of Hernan Crespo 12 minutes from time in this 1-0 home defeat he was repeating the kind of mistake which has scarred Sir Alex Ferguson over the past 12 months.
Feb 26
Manchester United 2 Portsmouth 1
WAYNE Rooney singlehandedly dragged Manchester United back into the Barclays Premiership title race tonight just as Portsmouth threatened to push Chelsea even closer to the finishing line.
Mar 5
Crystal Palace 0 Manchester United 0
MANCHESTER United squandered the chance to put Chelsea under real pressure at the top of the Barclays Premiership by failing to overcome 10-men Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Mar 8
AC Milan 1 Manchester United 0 (Agg 2 - 0)
HERNAN Crespo shattered Manchester United's Champions League dream as AC Milan beat the Reds 1-0 at San Siro. On-loan Chelsea striker Crespo, who scored the only goal at Old Trafford in the first leg, completed the job with a looping second-half header to make it 2-0 to the Italians on aggregate.
Mar 12
Southampton 0 Manchester United 4
MANCHESTER United may be relying on the FA Cup to salvage their season for the second year running but Sir Alex Ferguson's side moved closer to a place in the history books with a sixth round stroll at Southampton.
Mar 16
Essien eyes Manchester United future
LYON'S outstanding midfielder Michael Essien has revealed his desire to join Manchester United. The 22-year-old Ghanaian has excelled during Lyon's charge to the Champions League quarter-finals and twice caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson with
impressive performances against the Red Devils in the group phase. And now he has given United the green light to make an approach by claiming that one day he sees his future at Old Trafford. "I like Manchester," he told Sky Sports News.
Mar 19
Manchester United 1 Fulham 0
MANCHESTER United survived a heart-stopping late scare to clinch victory over Fulham at Old Trafford, only to find they are almost certainly battling for nothing more than second place. Cristiano Ronaldo's thunderous first-half effort proved enough to give
United one of those single-goal victories on which Chelsea's charge to the championship has been built.
April 2
Manchester United 0 Blackburn Rovers 0
RUUD van Nistelrooy's misery magnified that of his team at Old Trafford as Manchester United's Premiership title challenge finally crumbled.
Apr 9
Norwich 2 Manchester United 0
MANCHESTER United slipped to a shock defeat against rock-bottom Norwich at Carrow Road. Dean Ashton and Leon McKenzie scored second-half goals as the Reds lost ground in the race for second place.
Apr 12
Alert as tycoon plans third bid
MANCHESTER United fans are preparing to stage a demonstration against Malcolm Glazer if the American tycoon makes a third bid to buy the club this week.
Apr 17
Newcastle 1 United 4
RUUD Van Nistelrooy returned to goalscoring form with a double to send Manchester United into an FA Cup final grudge match against Arsenal. The bitter rivals will return to the Millennium Stadium on May 21 to put their seasons on the line after United easily dismissed a hapless Newcastle side.
Apr 20
Everton 1 Manchester United 0
MANCHESTER United crashed to their second successive Premiership defeat at Goodison Park and finished the game with nine men. Both Gary Neville and Paul Scholes received their marching orders as Everton managed a league victory over their illustrious opponents for the first time in 10 years. It was Duncan Ferguson who got the winner a decade ago and the giant Scot scored the decider again, early in the second half to send the home supporters crazy.
Apr 24
Manchester United 2 Newcastle 1
WAYNE Rooney's stunning second-half volley sparked an inspired Manchester United comeback as they recorded their second win in a week over injury-ravaged Newcastle. The Magpies looked set to avenge their FA Cup semi-final defeat in Cardiff when Darren Ambrose's excellent finish gave them a half-time lead. But, after Gabriel Heinze had been stretchered off with a serious-looking
ankle injury, Rooney levelled with a stunning 25-yard effort before Wes Brown nodded home only the second goal of his United career to end the hosts' two-match Barclays Premiership losing streak.
On the field United faced FA Cup agony as they lost to Arsenal on penalties, while Chelsea marched away with the Premiership title.
It was a relatively quiet time on the transfer front, with Edwin van der Sar and Ji-sung Park the two main arrivals, with one-time target Michael Essien choosing Chelsea. At least Rio Ferdinand finally put pen to paper though.
Here's how we reported the events.
May 1
Charlton 0 Manchester United 4
Manchester United kept up the pressure on Arsenal for the Barclays Premiership runners-up spot with a comfortable 4-0 win at Charlton. Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher set the visitors on their way with first-half efforts before Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney completed the scoring midway through the second period to give Charlton debutant 'keeper Stephan Andersen a day he would certainly never forget.
May 7
Manchester United 1 West Brom 1
UNKNOWN keeper Tomasz Kuszczak proved an unlikely West Brom hero as Bryan Robson saw the Baggies battered on his return to Old Trafford yet still escape with a precious point. Robert Earnshaw's second-half penalty earned the visitors a share of the spoils after Ryan Giggs had opened United's account midway through the opening period.
May 10
Manchester United 1 Chelsea 3
NEWLY-crowned Premiership champions Chelsea lived up to their billing with a clinical demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford. The visitors also ruthlessly exposed Sir Alex Ferguson's claims that there is nothing between the two sides, despite a gap that now stretches to 20 points in the league.
May 12
Glazer closing on United
MALCOLM Glazer is within touching distance of completing his £790million buy-out of Manchester United after capturing the key 28.9% stake of Irish racing tycoons John Magnier and JP McManus. SIR Alex Ferguson abandoned plans to fly to Norway amid further confusion over Jon Obi Mikel’s proposed move to Manchester United, with rumours abounding that he could be heading for Chelsea.
May 13
Glazer makes formal bid
Malcolm Glazer has made a formal bid to buy a controlling interest in Manchester United. The American business tycoon has taken his stake in the club to 71.8% over the last 24 hours and in accordance with City regulations has been required to offer his £3 per share deal to the remaining shareholders.
May 15
Southampton 1 Man United 2
MANCHESTER United finished a difficult week off the pitch with victory on it as they sent Southampton down at St Mary's. With American business tycoon Malcolm Glazer having gained the balance of power at United, football has been overshadowed at the Old Trafford club
this week. There was more cause for concern when John O'Shea scored an own-goal, but Darren Fletcher and Ruud Van Nistelrooy ensured the Reds finished a disappointing Premiership season with a victory.
May 20
Mikel 'forced' into United deal
CONTROVERSIAL Reds signing John Obi Mikel has claimed he was "forced" to sign for Manchester United and repeated his wish to join Chelsea instead.
May 21
Manchester United 0 Arsenal 0 (4-5 on penalties)
UNITED suffered the ultimate heartbreak in the FA Cup final after Paul Scholes' missed penalty cost them a shoot-out victory. The Reds had put Arsenal under intense pressure for the majority of the match, but slack finishing cost them the chance to finish the match in regular time and left United trophyless once more.
May 23
Glazer files offer document
MALCOLM Glazer has submitted his formal offer document revealing his takeover plans for Manchester United. Shareholders now have until June 13 to decide whether or not they wish to offload their stock to the American tycoon.
June 3
Agent confirms Park interest
MANCHESTER United's move for midfielder Park Ji-sung looks on course after his agent confirmed the club were trying to sign the Korean star.
June 4
FC United support grows
A FOOTBALL club formed by disenchanted Manchester United supporters following Malcolm Glazer's takeover say they are considering two offers for ground-sharing arrangements. FC United hope to be fully functional by the beginning of the 2005-6 season and are currently talking to officials from various leagues in the north west.
June 6
Essien set to snub United
LYON midfielder Michael Essien is ready to dismiss interest from Manchester United and sign for Premiership champions Chelsea.
Reds land Van der Sar
MANCHESTER United have gone Dutch to solve their goalkeeping crisis and have landed Edwin van der Sar at a cut-price figure from Fulham. Sir Alex Ferguson has finally secured the services of the keeper he originally targeted as Peter Schmeichel's successor as far back as 1999.
June 15
Hammer time for Carroll
FORMER Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll has signed for West Ham. The 27-year-old turned down the offer of a new contract with Manchester United and was made available on a free transfer.
June 28
Glazer takes control of Reds
SPORTS tycoon Malcolm Glazer has confirmed he has passed the threshold for forcing the compulsory purchase of all Manchester United shares. The American businessman, who set a deadline of 3pm yesterday for investors to offer to sell their stake in the Old Trafford club, told the City he now owned around 98% of United shares - more than the 97.6% needed for complete control.
July 5
Park gets United go-ahead
SOUTH Korean international Park Ji-Sung has been cleared to join Manchester United. A hearing in Sheffield yesterday attended by Sir Alex Ferguson granted the 24-year-old a work permit, leaving him free to link up for pre-season training with the Red Devils, probably next Monday.
July 8
Heinze scoops award
GABRIEL Heinze has been voted Manchester United supporters' player of the year. The Argentina full-back edged out Wayne Rooney to become the first non-European winner of the award, an achievement even more remarkable because he missed the first month of the season because of international commitments at the Olympics.
July 11
Fans lose patience with Rio
RIO Ferdinand is facing a backlash from United fans as talks over his contract reached a new stalemate.
July 21
Fergie pleads for patience
SIR Alex Ferguson has implored Manchester United fans to lay off Rio Ferdinand and stop the abuse the contract rebel has been suffering.
July 24
Mystery over Keane row reports
MYSTERY surrounds the absence of Roy Keane from Manchester United's current Far East tour, with club officials refusing to comment on claims the Irishman was axed by Sir Alex Ferguson following a blazing row between the pair.
Aug 4
Neville completes toffees switch
PHIL Neville has completed his move from Manchester United to Everton after passing his medical.
Aug 8
Rio agrees new Reds deal
RIO Ferdinand has ended his long-standing contract dispute by agreeing a new four-year deal with Manchester United. The England international has been booed by his own supporters throughout United’s pre-season campaign, with fans angry at the 27-year-old’s resistance to committing to a new £100,000-a-week deal.
Aug 9
united 3 Debrecen 0
MANCHESTER United took a major step towards Champions League qualification with a convincing victory over Debrecen at Old Trafford. Goals from Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo eased fears of a financially crippling Euro exit, and the Reds now travel to Budapest for the second leg with a crucial cushion.
Aug 12
Scholes signs new deal
MANCHESTER United have confirmed influential midfielder Paul Scholes has signed a four-year extension to his current contract. The 30-year-old former England international has always been regarded as a crucial member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad, and though he has faced increased competition for his place in recent times, the Red Devils have moved quickly to secure his services until 2009.
Aug 13
Everton 0 United 2
RUUD van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney fired United to an impressive opening day victory against Everton. Rooney was again in fine form for the Reds, brushing off the taunts of the Goodison Park crowd, while Van Nistelrooy put last season's nightmare behind him with a sharply taken goal.
Aug 20
Manchester United 1 Aston Villa 0
RUUD van Nistelrooy's explosive start to the campaign continued at Aston Villa's expense to delight Manchester United's new owners at Old Trafford.
Aug 24
Debrecen 0 United 3
MANCHESTER United cruised into the group stages of the Champions League with a routine victory over Debrecen in Budapest - but the win came at a cost. Gabriel Heinze scored with two headers before Kieran Richardson's bullet shot sealed a 6-0 aggregate win over the Hungarians. However, Sir Alex Ferguson's delight was tempered by injuries picked up by Gary Neville (groin) and Richardson (knee).
Aug 28
Newcastle 0 United 2
UNITED continued their winning ways after Wayne Rooney made the most of two howlers by Jean-Alain Boumsong to secure victory over crisis club Newcastle. Teenage wonderkid Wayne Rooney grabbed the opener in the 66th minute after allowing a Van der Sar clearance to bounce, then Boumsong failed to stop his injury time cross to set up Ruud Van Nistelrooy for the second.
A promising start to the Premiership season faltered, as did the Reds' decidedly lacklustre Champions League campaign, while Roy Keane sensationally left the club.
November also saw the passing of Reds legend George Best, who died aged 59.
Sep 10
United 1 City 1
UNITED dropped their first points of the season as City battled back for a draw at Old Trafford. Ruud van Nistelrooy put United ahead just before the break with an opportunist strike. But City, with new steel under boss Stuart Pearce, struck back when Joey Barton prodded home.
Sep 14
Villarreal 0 United 0
UNITED'S Champions League campaign got off to a nightmare start as controversial hitman Wayne Rooney was sensationally sent off for showing dissent to the referee.
Sep 18
Liverpool 0 United 0
UNITED were held in their second consecutive derby clash in a tepid clash which saw the Reds drop points and pace in their chase of Chelsea.
Sep 21
Scholes: Keane injury 'disastrous'
UNITED midfielder Paul Scholes has described the loss of skipper Roy Keane to injury as "disastrous". Keane, 34, broke a metatarsal bone in his left foot against Liverpool at the weekend and is expected to be out of action for two months.
Sep 24
United 1 Blackburn 2
MANCHESTER United's title hopes took another blow after Blackburn stunned the Reds at Old Trafford. Morten Gamst Pedersen scored two goals either side of Ruud van Nistelrooy's effort as United slipped to their first league defeat of the season.
Sep 27
United 2 Benfica 1
RYAN Giggs' deflected free kick marked a century of European appearances, but it took a goal-line poach from Ruud van Nistelrooy to ensure a United victory.
Oct 1
Fulham 2 United 3
UNITED switched back to the 4-4-2 formation fans have been demanding - and grabbed all three points in an incredible back-and-forth game at Craven Cottage.
Oct 15
Sunderland 1 United 3
UNITED can add another R to their dangerous forward line after Guiseppe Rossi marked his Premiership debut with a match-clinching goal at the Stadium of Light - although once again it was Wayne Rooney who ran the show.
Oct 18
United 0 Lille 0
MANCHESTER United and Lille battled out a goalless stalemate in a bad-tempered and scrappy encounter at Old Trafford. In a game of few clear-cut chances, Paul Scholes was sent off for two bookable offences as the Reds struggled to break down the physical French side.
Giggs fractures cheekbone
UNITED manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed stand-in captain Ryan Giggs suffered a broken cheekbone during the goalless draw at home to Lille.
Oct 22
Manchester United 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1
MIKAEL Silvestre's early goal put the Reds ahead at Old Trafford - but Jermaine Jenas' 72nd minute free kick saved Spurs' blushes.
Oct 26
United 4 Barnet 1
MANCHESTER United's youngsters cruised to victory over 10-man Barnet in a one-sided Carling Cup clash at Old Trafford.
Oct 29
Middlesbrough 4 United 1
MANCHESTER United suffered a crushing defeat against Middlesbrough as the Red Devils' title hopes were all but ended at the Riverside. The visitors were three goals adrift at the break as Gaizka Mendieta, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Aiyegbeni Yakubu all fired home. If anything, United’s performance was even worse after the interval and they can be thankful they suffered no further damage than Mendieta’s second 14 minutes from time. Cristiano Ronaldo scored United's consolation - their 1000th in the Premiership - in the dying minutes.
Nov 1
Keane controversy
SIR Alex Ferguson side-stepped the Roy Keane controversy as Manchester United headed out for their Champions League clash with Lille. Keane is believed to have castigated five of his team-mates in an interview which was due to be screened by the club's own television station - MUTV - yesterday but was pulled from the schedules following the direct intervention of chief executive David Gill.
Nov 2
Lille 1 United 0
UNITED'S nightmare week continued towards meltdown after a desperate Champions League performance saw their European hopes in serious danger.
Nov 6
United 1 Chelsea 0
REDS midfielder Darren Fletcher fired back a strong response to his critics - including skipper Roy Keane - after grabbing the winner as United brought to an end Chelsea's Premiership winning way.
Nov 18
Keane leaves United
ROY Keane has sensationally left Manchester United by mutual consent. A statement released by the Old Trafford outfit confirmed that their long-serving captain has departed with immediate effect after it became clear that his future at the club was untenable.
Nov 19
Charlton 1 United 3
MANCHESTER United responded to Roy Keane's exit in the best possible way by beating Charlton at The Valley. The former skipper's departure on Friday sent shockwaves through the club,but the players kept their focus to put on a stylish display against the Addicks. Alan Smith opened the scoring for the Reds, and despite Darren Ambrose's equaliser, acting captain Ruud van Nistelrooy netted two superb goals to seal victory.
Nov 22
United 0 Villarreal 0
UNITED huffed and puffed, but failed to blow down Villarreal's defence in a patchy, at times fractuous, but ultimately fruitless encounter at Old Trafford.
Nov 25
Best dies
UNITED legend George Best has finally lost his fight for life, aged 59. A spokesman for the Cromwell Hospital in west London confirmed: “After a long and very valiant fight Mr George Best died this afternoon in the intensive care unit at Cromwell Hospital."
Nov 27
West Ham 1 United 2
UNITED fought back from an first half defensive nightmare to secure victory against a battling West Ham side and take second place in the Premiership, after another key performance from Wayne Rooney.
Nov 30
United 3 West Brom 1
MANCHESTER United paid a fitting tribute to George Best with a stylish victory over West Brom in the Carling Cup.
Dec 2
Neville appointed skipper
GARY Neville has been appointed Manchester United's new club captain.
Dec 3
united 3 Portsmouth 0
WAYNE Rooney continued to prove himself the key to United's success with another superstar performance - on a day when Reds fans said goodbye to his most obvious predecessor.
Dec 7
Benfica 2 United 1
IT was a dark night for United at the Stadium of Light as the Reds finished bottom of their Champions League group -and ended their European season before Christmas. Despite Paul Scholes giving them an early lead against Benfica, United were ultimately undone by first-half efforts from Geovanni and Beto.
Dec 11
United 1 Everton 1
THE pressure on beleaguered Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson continues to mount after United were held to a draw by Everton at Old Trafford. Bundled out of Europe by Benfica in midweek, United's inability to find a winner after Ryan Giggs had levelled James McFadden's early strike leaves them 12 points adrift of runaway leaders Chelsea as they head towards the festive fixtures period.
Dec 14 United 4 Wigan 0
MANCHESTER United eased the pressure on boss Sir Alex Ferguson with a commanding victory over Wigan at Old Trafford. Rio Ferdinand put the Red Devils on the road to victory with a 30th minute header - his first goal for the club in 140 appearances. Two Wayne Rooney specials followed before Ruud van Nistelrooy drove home a penalty which allowed Ferguson to end the week from hell with a smile on his face.
