The Dell always was a peculiar place for Manchester United visits.
Those of a greater vintage than this writer may recall United being condemned to almost-certain relegation in a yellow and blue number that did not quite have them playing like Brazil.
Fast forward a few years to New Year’s Day 1994, when United had just released their new blue and white strip which bore the name of club legends down the stripes, and played it in for the first time at Southampton on Sir Alex’s birthday. A 2-2 draw was the result on that day.
That blue and white strip would achieve a strange sort of record, as it became the only strip United wore in three consecutive Premier League seasons, ironically with its last outing coming at the Dell, too, in an infamous 6-3 defeat in October 1996. A few months earlier had seen the most infamous kit incident in Premier League history when United changed into the blue strip from their garish grey number at half-time.
Well, permit me two technicalities, because today’s game isn’t at the Dell, it’s at St. Mary’s, and whilst today will see United play in their black/blue/yellow strip for the first time, this particular throwback does not have any special symmetry – looking back to the game at Southampton in August 1993, United were wearing their new black strip for the second time, and not giving it its maiden outing.
There seemed to be something about the vivid nature of United’s bold colours that season which brought out the best in them. The green and gold colours featured in the club’s best football in the FA Cup, and black had been worn the previous Monday at Villa Park, when United beat their closest rivals of the previous season in a thrilling toe-to-toe game.
That cavalier attitude was on show at the tight ground on the south coast, with Ferguson’s team in mesmeric form from the first whistle. Lee Sharpe – scorer of both goals against Villa – struck first blood with a fantastic volley which was expertly guided over Tim Flowers from a distance that seemed too close to manipulate in such a fashion.
Southampton equalised shortly after, but it took United minutes to re-establish their lead. Eric Cantona, as ever, was an island of composure in a tumultuous sea on the edge of the home box. Hughes and Bruce tried but failed to get the ball under control. Paul Ince stabbed at the loose ball, jabbing it perfectly in to the path of Cantona. Right on the 18-yard line, Cantona saw enough space over Flowers again, and lobbed the ball into the far corner.
It was majestic. Somehow, the appearance of the blue socks from the previous season’s change strip (worn because Southampton’s shorts and socks were black) made the visual aesthetics of it all even more pleasing.
Denis Irwin sealed the result with an early goal in the second half, after Cantona and Giggs had played clever passes.
United had been even more impressive in their comprehensive and professional swatting of the Saints than they had against Villa. “Perhaps the greatest champions we have seen in more than ten years,” the Sun proclaimed, while the Independent moaned that it was ‘almost too easy’ for the champions.
Sir Alex Ferguson had his own particular highlight. “I told Ryan Giggs when he sat next to me on the bench : ‘When you reach that level of accuracy you can call yourself a player.’ I told him he was watching a master at work.”
Southampton boss Ian Branfoot could only agree. “That’s as good a performance as I’ve seen in the top division for four years,” he admitted.
It was a statement of a performance that set the tone for the rest of the season. United strolled to the title, despite an early spring hiccup which came when Cantona – ironically in the black kit – was sent off in consecutive games at Swindon and Arsenal. The kit would become immortalised in another Cantona misadventure, but United fans fondly remember it as representative of the style and swagger of that incredible side.
Following last Saturday’s stylish performance, could we see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer purring about the class of Paul Pogba or Bruno Fernandes to one of their team-mates today? Let’s hope so.
