The Manchester United conundrum - Will the Aguero moment haunt them again?

The human mind is a fickle friend; it can stay sane for long periods of time, but can break at any given instant without even a second’s notice. An idea planted in a mind grows like a seed and will not stop growing until it has spread to full penetration of the human psyche. By this time, the normal scheme of events will have been altered to suit the man with the stronger will. Mind games have now become an integral part of the game as breaking the spirit of the opposition off the field is as important as beating the opposition on the field.

Sir Alex Ferguson has always been the pioneer of mind games in the world of football. He has successfully broken down formidable foes off the field before tearing them apart on the field on many an occasion. However, in the 2011-12 season, Sir Alex was given a taste of his own medicine by arch-rival Roberto Mancini. With around a dozen games to go, the shrewd City manager announced that his club had no chance in the title race; the statement enabled United to lay their guard down while reducing pressure on the City players. It had its desired effect as the hunter became the hunted; United began to drop points as City grew stronger.

A few months previously, United beat City 3-2 to win the FA Community Shield; little did Sir Alex know that the Shield would be the only piece of silverware he would lay his hands on. A shock 1-2 defeat to Crystal Palace saw United knocked out of the League Cup fifth round and a 2-1 loss away to Basel ensured that the Reds were relegated to the Europa League for the first time since the 1995-96 season. A 5-3 aggregate defeat to Athletic Bilbao ended United’s European campaign while a 2-1 loss away at Liverpool saw United crash out of the FA Cup fifth round.

By mid-January, United had a five point lead at the top of the table over City; a slender advantage, in the larger scheme of things. The clash against mid-table Everton set off a chain of events that lead to the spectacle on 13 May, 2012. Despite holding a comfortable 3-1 advantage at Old Trafford, United blew the chance to take all three points by conceding two late goals, resulting in the Reds’ lead being cut to three points heading into the crucial Manchester derby.

A composed finish courtesy captain Vincent Kompany saw City beat United 1-0 at the Etihad; City led on goal-difference. The next fixtures saw United and City beat Swansea City and Newcastle United 2-0 respectively; City still led on goal-difference. Heading into the last day of the season, United had to pick up all three points and hope for a slip-up at the Etihad. The Reds solemnly held up their end of the bargain by registering an easy 1-0 win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. City, meanwhile, trailed QPR 1-2 at the Etihad. A 91st minute equalizer from Edin Dzeko and the infamous “Aguerooooooooooo” moment saw City steal the Mancunian thunder from right under United’s incredulous gaze, on the last day of the season, with the last kick of the season, on goal-difference.

Sir Alex immediately retaliated by bringing in the services of the in-form Robin van Persie from Arsenal for the 2012-13 season. The ‘Flying Dutchman’ had an immediate impact and announced himself in spectacular fashion to the Stretford End by scoring a wonderful goal in his first game game against Fulham. Persie’s blistering form continued as he netted his first United hat-trick in that nerve-wracking comeback against Southampton. United marched into a commanding position at the top of the league with van Persie-influenced wins over Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. A 91st minute van Persie free-kick, with a little help from Samir Nasri, saw United beat City 3-2 in the first Manchester derby of the season at the Etihad.

Meanwhile in Europe, United dominated in the group stages of the Champions League. The Capital One Cup saw United ease into the fifth round after narrow wins against Newcastle United and West Ham United. The fifth-round clash against Chelsea was a high-stakes match on the back of their controversial Premier League clash 72 hours earlier. A 3-3 score line at the end of the 90 minutes saw the match progress into extra-time. Chelsea went on to prevail 5-4 on the night as a furious Sir Alex blamed the loss on an under-performing Luis Nani.

The Champions League saw United draw Real Madrid in the round of 16. United walked out of the Bernabeu with their heads held high after an impressive performance, clutching an all-important away goal. The second leg at Old Trafford saw Madrid dominate the first half; the second half commenced with United taking the lead on the back of a Sergio Ramos own-goal. It was destined to be another one of those memorable European nights for Sir Alex and his team. Alas, referee Cunneyt Cakir had other ideas. A moment of madness saw the Turkish referee send Nani off.

In spite of the scandalous decision, the game went on and Luka Modric took advantage of the shell-shocked United players to curl a shot past David de Gea to level the tie. A few minutes later, United’s prodigal son Cristiano Ronaldo put the ball into the net to give Madrid an undeserved lead. As the 93rd minute ended, Jose Mourinho walked toward Sir Alex, gave the Scot an ‘embarrassed’ hug and walked off into the darkness of the tunnel. Cakir blew the final whistle to a chorus of jeers ringing around the Theatre of Dreams; United’s Treble dreams had ended.

Taking solace in the fact that the Domestic Double was still on the cards, United ground out hard-fought victories in an effort to put the league title beyond doubt. The FA Cup quarter-final saw United take on Chelsea once again. Goals from Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney within the first 11 minutes displayed United’s determination and domination. However, Chelsea organised themselves and fought back valiantly to ensure a replay at Stamford Bridge.

Unfortunately, the replay turned out to be another spanner in the works of Manchester United. A sumptuous ball from Juan Mata led to an acrobatic finish from Demba Ba in the 48th minute that ended United’s hopes of a Double.

Echoes of the 1-6 defeat to City at Old Trafford the previous season saw United come out of the tunnel for the Manchester derby with one thing in mind: revenge. In the build-up to the crucial derby, Roberto Mancini, in an effort to get on United’s nerves, announced that the points table was not a fair reflection of the events that had transpired through the season. Sir Alex decided not to retaliate verbally, but did so by fielding a strong side. An enthralling contest saw City beat United 2-1 at Old Trafford thanks to a goal from the man who had caused them so much pain on the last day of the previous season: Sergio Aguero. A lung-bursting 30-yard dash followed by a sensational finish cut United’s lead at the top of the table to 12 points with 7 games to go.

As mentioned earlier, an idea once planted will not stop growing until it has fully penetrated the human psyche; Sergio Aguero may have just planted the idea along with a shadow of doubt last night with another “Aguerooooooooooo” moment. The next few weeks will witness the idea grow and spread until United slip-up, enabling City to once again snatch the title and steal the spotlight. But the onus will be upon the man who has pulled United through so many times in his vast career – Sir Alex Ferguson, to prevent another potential goal-difference title loss.

Setbacks and tragedies are abundant throughout United’s history, but the responses to these inconveniences are what makes United a force to reckon with on the world stage. In the following seasons, United will return stronger than ever to Europe and will look to go all the way on the grandest stage in club football. The squad, filled with the perfect mix of young talent and experienced wisdom, will bring abundant glory to Old Trafford and Sir Alex. United must not rue missed chances and must concentrate on bringing the league title home safely, to where it belongs.