By Frank Mead
After a great victory over our biggest rivals at weekend, we thought it was time revisit another classic match between the two. Rather than picking one of the obvious ones, such as Cantona’s incredible strike to win the 1996 FA Cup Final, or last minute winner by Ole Gunnar Solskjær three years later, we decided to focus on a match that seems to have been largely forgotten by a lot of people.
This would be the last time in the 20th Century that these two clubs would meet – and what a match. Multiple own goals, goalkeeping howlers, violent conduct were the order of the day. With this in mind, it’s rather surprising that this one managed to slip under the radar.
Background
1999 is a year that no United fan should need any introduction to. Quite simply, it was the greatest year in the clubs history. In May, a ten day period had seen United win the historic Treble, with that unforgettable climax in Barcelona as the Reds snatched the Champions League trophy away from Bayern Munich in the last minute.
By comparison, a season which had promised so much for Liverpool fans ended in shocking mediocrity. They were quick to tell us, once again, that it would be their year following Michael Owen’s World Cup heroics. What actually happened was that they finished 7th in the Premier League, failing to qualify for any European competition, which had cost Roy Evans his job. Having seen Steve McManaman depart for Real Madrid, players such as Paul Ince, Karl-Heinz Reidle, David James and Øyvind Leonhardsen were shipped out of Anfield, and over £30 million had been spent on players, with Emile Heskey and Dietmar Hamman amongst their new recruits. Also in the starting line-up was a young Steven Gerrard, who had already won as many Premier League titles as he would do in the rest of his career.
Peter Schmeichel’s last action as a Manchester United player was to lift the Champions League trophy, and the Reds already had a taste of what troubles lay ahead in appointing his successor. Mark Bosnich, a free transfer from Aston Villa, had already struggled with fitness before he picked up an injury. Raimond van der Gouw was a good deputy but never seen as first choice, so Italian goalkeeper Massimo Taibi was recruited from Venezia for £4.5 million. United’s Serie A shopping was not finished there, as French defender Mikaël Silvestre was recruited from Inter Milan, having impressed against United the previous season. Both made their debut at Anfield.
United had begun the new campaign in very impressive fashion, and had already beaten Arsenal at Highbury before a four goal haul from Andy Cole had helped the Reds to a 5 – 1 victory over Newcastle. Liverpool had also beaten Arsenal, but had lost two of their opening five games – one of them at home to newly promoted Watford.
But, as this game proved, form very often goes out of the window when these two clubs meet. Although the three points were claimed by the Reds of Old Trafford, it wasn’t quite the walkover it should have been, despite the gulf in class between the two sides.
The Match
Manchester United were heavy favourites going into this match, and nobody was surprised when the Champions took the lead after just three minutes. A superb ball in from the left wing by Ryan Giggs was met with a terrific header by Jamie Carragher, but unfortunately for him it went in his own net, giving new Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld no chance. Carragher was only 21 at the time, and this clearly unsettled both him and his team mates, and United took full advantage.
Fifteen minutes later, United were awarded a free kick and David Beckham did not let the opportunity slip, whipping in a typically brilliant cross from the right wing, and found Andy Cole completely unmarked in the penalty area, and his header gave his side a two goal cushion.
The Anfield faithful were understandably worried seeing their side two goals down in such a short space of time, especially to their biggest rivals, who just happened to be the Champions of Europe at the time. They were soon given reason to cheer, however, when Taibi rose to claim a Jamie Redknapp free kick and completely missed it, allowing Sami Hyypiä to head into an unguarded net.
Liverpool suddenly gained a lift and began to attack United with more confidence, and although they could feel hard done by when Nicky Butt handled in the area, they failed to make the most of their chances – and were soon punished for it.
Perhaps tired of seeing his side unsuccessfully trying to put the ball in United’s net, Jamie Carragher, soon restored United’s lead by once again putting it in his own a minute before half time. The Liverpool defender would become synonymous with Own Goals throughout his career, and enhanced his reputation in this game. In fairness to him, there was little he could have done about this one, just in the wrong place at the wrong time, as another free kick whipped in by Beckham caused a goalmouth scramble that ended up in the net At first, it seemed that it had been scored by Henning Berg, but replays showed that Carragher got the final touch.
It seemed that Liverpool would have the fight knocked out of them by such a late sucker punch, but a tactical switch from Gerard Houllier saw him introduce another summer signing, Vladimír Šmicer, and it seemed to revitalise the Anfield side. Despite his earlier mistake, Taibi was called into action time after time to deny Fowler and Šmicer. United were also guilty of wasting chances, Andy Cole probably still doesn’t know how he missed a header from point blank range.
Just after the hour mark, Houllier introduced Michael Owen into the fray, a few minutes later Liverpool pulled another goal back, when Patrik Berger raced onto a through ball and slid a delicate little finish under Taibi and into the back of the net. If this wasn’t enough make the Kop erupt, a minute later United found themselves down to ten men.
Rigobert Song had been having a shirt pulling marathon with Andy Cole all afternoon, and by the 70th minute the United striker lost his rag and kicked out at the defender. Cole was already on a booking, and his second yellow card of the day meant he was going for an early bath.
Liverpool sensed blood, and seeing United down to ten men gave them a boost, but just like in the first half, they could not capitalise on it. Taibi frustrated them time after time. Owen had a late chance to equalise but saw his toe-poked effort creep past the post, rather than just inside it.
United held on, with the determination so often found by sides a man down, and consolidated their place at the top of the table. Liverpool’s period of transition continued – in fact, it’s still going on to this day.
Aftermath
Massimo Taibi was named Man Of The Match in this game, and understandably so given that his goalkeeping heroics in the second half practically won the game for United. It was, however, to be a false dawn, after a now infamous incident against Southampton at Old Trafford. Matthew Le Tissier was famous for scoring long range goals during his career, but the one he scored past Taibi was a complete scuff, slipping under the goalkeeper’s body leaving him staring at his studs in disbelief, and Le Tissier seemed almost too embarrassed to celebrate.
United would have a mid-season blip, maybe a post-Treble hangover contributing to the 5 – 0 thrashing by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, which also saw Taibi’s Old Trafford career come to a premature end after just four games. He was loaned back to Italy, joining Reggina, a move which would become a permanent £2.5 million transfer at the end of that season.
Liverpool’s form did improve and they finished the season in fourth place, however, this was not enough to finish in the Champions League places back then, as only the top three would qualify, and Leeds United beat them to it by two points.
United’s form also improved, and in addition to winning the now-defunct Intercontinental Cup (which, back then, meant that you were officially World Champions, and they remain the only English or British club ever to win it), they also competed in the inaugural FIFA World Team Championship in Brazil. This caused controversy, as United pulled out of the FA Cup in order to take part.
Although United did not win the tournament, upon returning to England the Reds retained the Premier League title with little effort, losing just one of their last twenty games and finishing 18 points clear of Arsenal in second. Their efforts to retain their European crown, however, were dashed as they beaten by Real Madrid in the Quarter Finals.
Maybe because United barely broke a sweat in retaining their league crown, or maybe just because, after the Treble, anything would have been an anti-climax but the 1999 – 00 season just does not get the same recognition as some of our other title wins. The real difference is not that we didn’t conquer Europe again, and not because the title had been won so easily. It’s because the Treble of the previous season had kept fans on the edge of their seats, a white-knuckle rollercoaster. The 1999 – 00 season, by comparison, was like a limousine ride.
It would be fair to say that the main reason United fans had to be biting their nails that season was the worry over whether Roy Keane would sign a new contract. Games like this one against Liverpool were in short supply.
But what a game!
Ultimate United 2017
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