Dead and Buried

3 May 2007:

Today is one of the worse day ever for me. At 445am, when the final whistle blown off at San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy, i just can't get back to sleep... My beloved football team, Manchester United has just crashed to an embarassing 0-3 defeat to AC Milan. Again they failed to make it to the final... "A night that had started with so much hope saw United out-thought, out- manoeuvred and, worst of all, outclassed."

Since the historical moment of MU winning the Treble in 1999, which is also the only time they won the European Champions' League Cup under Sir Alex Ferguson, below are their record in this competition which i have witnessed every moment of their failure each time.

2000 Quarterfinal:
(A) 0-0 Real Madrid
(H) 2-3

2001 Quarterfinal:
(H) 1-1 Bayern Munich
(A) 1-2

2002 Semifinal :
(H) 2-2 Bayern Leverkusen
(A) 1-1

2003 Quarterfinal:
(A) 1-3 Real Madrid
(H) 4-3

2004 Round 16 :
(A) 1-2 Porto
(H) 1-1

2005 Round 16 :
(H) 0-1 AC Milan
(A) 0-1

2006 Group stage :
Unable to qualify to 2nd round, lost in last group match away to Benfica 1-2, when they needed just a draw to get through.

2007 Semifinal :
(H) 3-2 AC Milan
(A) 0-3

Manchester United players became 'San Zero' in San Siro stadium tonight. It's not only the defeat that is disappointing, but the way they were playing which is sad to be witnessed by any MU fan around the world. Porous defence, slack passings, toothless in attack sums up the night where they just couldn't find their feet in a rain-soak pitch from the beginning of the match. Greeted at the San Siro by thunder, lightning and torrential rain, MU players just could not keep in touch with the blistering pace by the Milan players. It is really a sad way to lose a game like this. Ferguson sums up the game in a very good style "My boys cut their own throats". Going down 0-2 in first 30 mins is just not good enough for a team who wants to be among the elites of Real Madrid and AC Milan in this competitions.

The SUN reported:

...
Sir Alex Ferguson's men chose the worst night possible to turn in one of their poorest displays of the entire campaign, with Cristiano Ronaldo among the biggest let downs.
...
Kaka was again an inspiration last night as his thumping opener set Milan on their way to a comprehensive victory and reduced United’s hopes of a trip to the final in ancient Greece to ruins.

While Kaka flourished, ably assisted by his Dutch team-mate Clarence Seedorf and the terrier-like Italian Rino Gattuso, United’s star men Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo went missing.
...


Just can't believe that it has been 8 yrs now since they last entered the final of this competition which Ferguson wants to win again so much before he retires. The high hope each time went up in smoke as each year goes by. Ferguson's days are numbered in the club, as well as players like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville... May be this biggest prize in Europe football will just continue to be eluded from them...

This failure will continue to haunt them, and i just hope they can win the Premier League and the FA Cup as compensation in the next 2 weeks to wrap up this season.