2006 to present day
The 2006-07season saw United return to the attacking style of football that was the cornerstone of
their years of success in the late 1990s, scoring almost 20 more goals in 32 matches than second placed side
Chelsea. United got to the semi-finals of the Champions League, with hopes for a second Treble; however, upon
reaching the semi-finals, United lost to Milan 3-5 on aggregate. Four years after their last title, United
claimed back the Premier League title on 6 May 2007, after Chelsea drew away with Arsenal, leaving the Blues
seven points behind with two games to go, following United's 1-0 victory in the Manchester derby the previous
day, making it their ninth Premier League title in the 15 seasons of its existence. However, an unprecedented
fourth Double was not to be as Chelsea beat United 1-0 in extra time in the first FA Cup Final to be held at
the new Wembley Stadium; the first to be held in England since the old stadium was demolished seven years
earlier.
2007-08 saw United successfully complete the European double despite a poor start to the season, finding
themselves in 17th place in the Premier League after three matches. However, on 11 May 2008, United retained
the Premier League title with a win over Wigan Athletic. With title rivals Chelsea only able to draw with
Bolton Wanderers, United finished the season two points clear. The club also reached the European Cup final
for the third time in their history, having knocked out such clubs as Barcelona and Roma en-route to the
final. They beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties in the final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, after a 1-1 draw in
normal time on 21 May 2008. With this win, they earned their third European Cup title and kept up their
record of never having lost a major European final. Coincidentally, this season marked the 100th year since
Manchester United won their first League title, 50 years after the Munich air disaster and 40 years after
Manchester United became the first ever English side to win the European Cup. The European Cup final also saw
Ryan Giggs make his 759th appearance for the club, overtaking Bobby Charlton as the club's record appearance
maker.
Before the start of the 2008-09 season, United won the 2008 FA Community Shield. United beat Portsmouth
3-1 on penalties, after the match finished 0-0 after 90 minutes. On 21 December 2008, United added more
silverware to their trophy cabinet with a win in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup Final, defeating the Ecuadorian
side LDU Quito 1-0 in Japan, Wayne Rooney scoring the winning goal. Two months later, they added the 2009
League Cup to their trophy cabinet, after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 on penalties. On 16 May, United
secured their 11th Premier League title - and 18th league title overall - following a 0-0 draw at home to
Arsenal, winning three consecutive Premier League titles for a second time. On 27 May 2009, Barcelona beat
Manchester United 2-0 in the Champions League final in Rome, falling to goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel
Messi. The Champions League final turned out to be the last match for both Carlos Tevez, whose loan contract
came to an end on 30 June, and Cristiano Ronaldo - who was sold to Real Madrid for 80 million pounds,
breaking the world transfer record set by Real Madrid's signing of Kaka from Milan for 56 million pounds.
However, United replied to the losses by signing Michael Owen on a free transfer, Antonio Valencia for 17
million pounds and Gabriel Obertan for 3 million pounds.
The 2009-10 season started well for Manchester United, despite a shock 1-0defeat to Burnley at Turf
Moor. A run of victories then followed, including a 4-3 derby win over Manchester City, which was won in the
96th minute by Michael Owen. However, a poor performance against Liverpool resulted in a 2-0 defeat at
Anfield. On 3 November, Manchester United secured qualification from the group stage of the Champions League
with a 3-3 home draw against CSKA Moscow and finished top of the group after defeating Wolfsburg 3-1, in
which Michael Owen scored his first hat-trick for the club. United played Milan in the first knockout round
of the Champions League winning 3-2 away . On 3 January 2010, Manchester United suffered a shock 1-0 defeat
to fierce rivals Leeds United at home in the FA Cup Third Round. It was Alex Ferguson's first defeat in the
FA Cup Third Round as United manager and the first time ever his side had fallen to a lower division club in
the competition. Manchester United overturned a 2-1 defeat to local rivals Manchester City from the first leg
of the League Cup semi-final by winning the return leg at Old Trafford 3-1 on 27 January, with Rooney scoring
the decider in injury time to secure a place in the final. This win was widely regarded by many as a symbolic
win due to Manchester City's recent takeover enabling them to compete more closely with Manchester United.
The fans were especially pleased, as the Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini had pledged to tear down a
banner reminding their rivals of how many years it had been since they had last won a major trophy.
Manchester United defeated Aston Villa 2-1 at Wembley to retain the League Cup, the first time in the
club's history that they successfully defended a cup in a knockout tournament.
The 2010-2011 season was another winning season, yet it ended leaving many convinced that Manchester United
needed a re-build. The season began without any pre-season big-name signings. There was ‘no value in the market’
according to Sir Alex Ferguson. Javier Hernandez arrived from Guadalajara in Mexico, Chris Smalling from Fulham
and Tiago Bebe from Vitoria de Guimaraes in Portugal. The Bebe transfer was particularly notable as he cost the
club about £7m without anyone having seen him play. Wayne Rooney began the season struggling for form and
fitness. In October it was announced, firstly, that he would leave the club at the end of his current contract
then, secondly, that he had signed a (generous) new contract. His form and fitness improved In the second half
of the season. Dimitar Berbatov scored twenty-two goals (including five in one match against Blackburn Rovers)
and was the club’s top scorer yet, by the season’s end, his place in the first team had been taken by Javier
Hernandez. Hernandez scored twenty goals in his first season and impressed all observers. In February, Gary
Neville retired and, at the end of the season, so too did Paul Scholes and Edwin Van der Sar. Between them they
made more than 1,500 appearances for Manchester United. The highlight of the season was undoubtedly winning a
nineteenth league title. The team was unbeaten in the Premiership until February and ended the season nine
points ahead of Chelsea. The nineteenth title was one more than Liverpool’s eighteen, demonstrating to gleeful
supporters that Liverpool had finally been ‘knocked-off their perch’. At home, only two points were dropped all
season but, away, Manchester United’s form was inconsistent and often unimpressive. As usual, it was largely
the Reserves that played in the League Cup. After winning the cup in the previous two seasons, they were
defeated in 2010-2011 in the quarter-finals. In the FA Cup, United was drawn against City in an all-Manchester
semi-final. United lost 1-0. In the UEFA Champions League, Manchester United reached its third final in four
years. In contrast to its away form in the Premiership, Manchester United didn’t let in a single goal away from
home in the 2010-2011 Champions League. The final, played at Wembley, was a repeat of the final of 2008-2009.
The outcome was the same too. Manchester United lost 3-1 to Barcelona.
The 2011–12 season was Manchester United's 20th season in the Premier League, and their 37th consecutive
season in the top-flight of English football. United were defending Premier League champions, and aimed for an
unprecedented 20th league title this season. Furthermore, they were competing in the Champions League for a
16th successive season. In addition, they were competing in the domestic tournaments, the FA Cup and the League
Cup. Manchester United began the season with a 3–2 win over local rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield
at Wembley on 7 August 2011. They were however knocked out of the League Cup at the Fifth Round stage for the
second successive season after losing 2–1 to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on 30 November 2011. On 7 December
2011, United lost 2–1 away to Basel, a result which saw them finish third in their Champions League group. This
meant that they competed in the UEFA Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) for the first time since the 1995–96
season. However, they only made it as far as the Round of 16, falling to Athletic Bilbao 5–3 on aggregate.
On 4 January 2012 against Newcastle United, Ryan Giggs broke Sir Bobby Charlton's record for the most starts,
the match being Giggs' 757th start. On 28 January 2012, United were knocked out of the FA Cup in the Fourth
Round after losing 2–1 against Liverpool at Anfield. Going into the last match of the season, on 13 May 2012,
United and Manchester City were locked together on 86 points at the top the table, but City led with an eight
goal advantage in goal difference. United therefore needed to better City's result to win the title. They were
on course to do this, winning 1–0 at Sunderland, whilst City trailed 2–1 at home to Queens Park Rangers.
However, after 90 minutes QPR stopped playing and allowed two stoppage time goals from Edin Džeko and Sergio
Agüero to gift City a 3–2 win and edge United out on goal difference. It was the first time in 23 years that
the champions and the runners-up had finished level on points.
The 2012–13 season was United's 21st season in the Premier League, and their 38th consecutive season in
the top flight of English football.
United won an unprecedented 20th English Top Division title on 22 April 2013, by defeating Aston Villa at
Old Trafford. United competed in the FA Cup and the League Cup where Chelsea proved to be United's nemesis in
both competitions, first beating them 5–4 in the Fourth Round of the League Cup on 31 October 2012, followed
by a 1–0 win in the FA Cup Sixth Round Replay on 1 April 2013.
In Europe, United were knocked out of the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage after losing 3–2 on
aggregate to Real Madrid after dominating both legs of the tie, a bad decision by the refere in sending off
Nani proved to be the turning point in the match at Old Trafford.
On 8 May 2013, United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson announced that he would retire from his position as
manager of Manchester United after almost 27 years in charge. The next day, Manchester United announced that
David Moyes of Everton would take over from Ferguson at the beginning of the 2013–14 season.
The 2013–14 season was Manchester United's 22nd season in the Premier League, and their 39th consecutive
season in the top-flight of English football. David Moyes began the season as United's new manager after taking
over from Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired after 27 years in charge. He had actually been announced as the club's
new manager before the end of the previous season, but did not officially take over until 1 July 2013. Despite
winning the Community Shield, United were soon struggling in the league and endured some of their worst results
since the end of the 1980s. In January, United were knocked out of their two domestic cup competitions,
eliminated from the FA Cup at the first hurdle with a loss to Swansea City, as well as from the semi-finals of
the League Cup after being beaten on penalties by Sunderland. United fared better in Europe, topping their group
in the group stage. They suffered a scare when they lost to Olympiacos in the first leg of the round of 16, but
overcame the deficit in the second leg. United were ultimately eliminated during the quarter-finals in April,
with Bayern Munich beating them 4–2 on aggregate.
On 22 April 2014, with four games remaining, Moyes was sacked as manager, less than a year into his
six-year contract. His last game, two days earlier, had ended in 2–0 defeat at his old club Everton. 40-year-old
player-coach Ryan Giggs was placed in charge for United's remaining games, from which they collected seven
points. A seventh place in the league was United's lowest finish since 1990 and meant that they had missed out on
European qualification for the first time since 1989–90 (when English clubs were still banned from European
competitions due to the Heysel disaster of 1985). The last time outside the Heysel ban era that United had missed
out on a place in Europe was in 1980–81.
Dutch coach Louis van Gaal was confirmed as Manchester United's new manager on a three-year contract on
19 May 2014, with Giggs appointed as his assistant. On the same day, Giggs announced his retirement as a player
after a career spanning nearly 25 years, during which he had played almost 1,000 competitive games for the club
and won 34 trophies.
The 2014–15 season was Manchester United's 23rd season in the Premier League, and their 40th consecutive
season in the top-flight of English football. United began the season on 16 August 2014, with the opening game of
their Premier League campaign. They also competed in the two domestic cups, the FA Cup and the League Cup. This
was the first season since 1989–90 that Manchester United did not compete in any European competition.
The 2015–16 season was Manchester United's 24th season in the Premier League, and their 41st consecutive
season in the top flight of English football. Along with the Premier League, the club also competed in the FA
Cup, Football League Cup and UEFA Champions League. Following a third-place finish in their UEFA Champions League
group, the club was entered into the last 32 stage of the UEFA Europa League, in which they beat Midtjylland of
Denmark, before losing to rivals Liverpool in the round of 16.
United won their 12th FA Cup with a 2–1 win over Crystal Palace in the final at Wembley Stadium.
Following the departure of Louis van Gaal at the end of the previous season, the club signed former
Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale and Real Madrid manager José Mourinho on a three-year contract, with the option
of a further year.
The 2016–17 season was Manchester United's 25th season in the Premier League, and their 42nd consecutive
season in the top-flight of English football. It began against Leicester City in the FA Community Shield, with
United prevailing 2–1 to win the first trophy of the domestic calendar. In February 2017, the club won their
second trophy of the campaign, beating Southampton 3–2 in the EFL Cup Final. Although they missed out on
qualifying for the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League via the league, having finished in sixth place, a 2–0 victory
over Ajax in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final meant they qualified for the Champions League group stage as
Europa League title holders
2017/18
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