16 not so bad things that happened in a bad season for Manchester United

4. Juan Mata

The signing of Juan Mata in January admittedly represented a bit of a false dawn, as many quickly realised (or it simply reinforced their view) that United’s problems went deeper. By then, the hope was a top four finish: but a lack of summer investment, the failure to find a style that suits and a manager not ready for the job would continue to hurt United’s chances. Still: who didn’t get swept up in it all? Moyes’ confidence-sapping observation that United needed “five or six world-class players”, not just a few, had a lot of truth in it. Mata was one of those, and perhaps an indication that others would follow. Or maybe not, but there was the immediate promise of seeing a player whose quality was at the level the club could definitely do with. At season’s end, he was United’s third most productive player in goals and assists, despite being somewhere else for half of it.

5. 3-0 vs. Olympiakos

Of course, the disastrous nature of the first leg meant that winning 3-0 was the minimum expectation, and yet it felt great. United were able to string passes together this time, nobody got in Robin van Persie’s way as he grabbed a hat-trick and Ryan Giggs and David de Gea put in delightful contributions. None, though, were as good as Marouane Fellaini’s, where his stunning time-wasting abilities helped ease all fears and send United into the quarters.

6. Evra’s goal at Bayern

While it probably wasn’t better than Wayne Rooney’s long-distance goal at West Ham, it was certainly better than Wayne Rooney’s long-distance goal at West Ham. The 73 seconds that followed Patrice Evra’s strike (before Bayern’s equaliser) were among the best 73 seconds in football history, as you’d imagine when a proper fans’ favourite scores the best goal of his career in the biggest game of a difficult season. It helped that nobody saw a United goal coming – and that nobody saw Evra coming. Antonio Valencia knocked in what looked to be a wayward cross, until Evra suddenly appeared in view. He was ready to hit from the sort of range that many, typically anything other than goalscorers, fancy but whack over the bar. Except it went under. And then there was only euphoria. When Rooney’s effort was preferred at the end-of-year awards, Evra said, in jest, but very much with truth, that he didn’t “understand why I didn’t win. For a defender it is one of the best goals I’ll ever score.” If people like their goals with context, Evra’s wins all of the awards.

7. David Moyes’ sacking

Celebrating the loss of someone’s job is a pretty bad thing, many would agree. But, well, you know. It’s just the relief, after months and months of frustration, that makes it. If David Moyes had gone in September, few would have celebrated it. Obviously, because it wouldn’t have made any sense. That would have been unpleasant, unprofessional and unpopular. Same for October. And pretty much November. He’d have lost a lot of sympathy by December, but still. There’s time. January: well, this isn’t good. February: we all sort of want it, don’t we? March: he should definitely go. Why hasn’t he gone yet? April: why is still he-yes! It was also a relief because it wasn’t that inevitable. It seemed the only reason to keep him around is that sacking him would have been an embarrassment the club hadn’t prepared for. And that’s a pretty huge reason. Look: the amount he received in compensation would be enough to quit all our jobs.