Today is Manchester United’s final home game of the 2013-14 season, against Hull City. To say their season has been a roller coaster is an understatement. There were always bound to be changes with David Moyes replacing Sir Alex Ferguson, but no United fan could’ve predicted the season that was. Here’s a look at the key moments…
The Good: A respectable UEFA Champions League performance
The first thing you can say about Manchester United’s UCL campaign was that they improved on a round of 16 finish in 2013, and made the quarterfinals in 2014. What’s more, to qualify for the last 8, they needed at least a 3-goal victory over Olympiacos, which they managed thanks to a Robin van Persie hat-trick. In the quarterfinals, they gave defending European champions Bayern Munich a run for their money; only after a Patrice Evra goal did Bayern score 3 quick goals to advance to the semifinals. Some critics said in pre-season that the quarterfinals was a fair expectation for the club, and David Moyes achieved that.
The Bad: Embarrassing home losses
Before the 2013-14 Premier League season, Sunderland had not won at Old Trafford since 1968. Last Saturday, the Black Cats won 1-0 with a Sebastian Larsson goal putting them firmly in control of their own destiny to stay in the EPL next year. Newcastle & West Bromwich Albion also won at OT this year to give United 7 home losses. The last time that happened (1973-74), the Red Devils were relegated. United may not be in danger of going down to the Championship this year, but the club clearly does not intimidate opponents under Moyes and Ryan Giggs like it may have under Ferguson.
The Ugly: Results vs. the Top 4
The current top 4 in the English Premier League is Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea & Arsenal. United’s EPL record against those clubs this year stands at 1 win, 2 draws, and 5 losses. That’s 5 points out of a possible 24. Last year, the Red Devils managed 16. The goal difference in 2013-14 is astonishing: United this year scored 3 goals, and conceded 14. A pair of 3-0 home losses to Liverpool and Manchester City in March only added to the string of Old Trafford defeats.
This has certainly been a season unlike any other for Manchester United. Tonight is the third match in the era of interim player-manager Ryan Giggs, after Moyes was fired last month. It is also the final home game for club captain Nemanja Vidic, who will join Italian club Inter Milan this summer. It will be interesting to see how the fans at tonight’s game react to the result, and what happens to the club in the summer months.