So, the other day I got thinking about Manchester United, specifically that 2012 squad. It wasn’t even triggered by a match, really. I was clearing out some old boxes, looking for some documents, you know how it is. Found an old programme, maybe from late 2011 or 2012. Didn’t even keep it, just seeing the cover got the old memory gears turning.
First thing I did was just try and list the team off the top of my head. It’s funny what you remember and what slips away. Rooney, obviously. Van Persie – ah wait, he arrived just after that season technically started, for 2012-13. See? Already getting mixed up. Okay, so that specific 2011-2012 season finish.
Digging into the Memory Banks
So who was there? My process was pretty simple, started with the obvious ones:
- Goalkeeper: De Gea was starting his United journey, right? Young kid then. Lindegaard was backup? Yeah, rings a bell.
- Defence: Ferdinand, Vidić – the rocks. Evra at left back, definitely. Rafael or maybe Smalling/Jones on the right? They chopped and changed a bit.
- Midfield: Scholes had come back from retirement! That was a thing. Carrick holding. Then you had the wingers… Nani, Valencia, Ashley Young. Park Ji-sung was still around too, wasn’t he? What a workhorse. Giggs still going strong. Cleverley and Anderson were in the mix too, lots of hope for them.
- Attack: Rooney leading the line. Welbeck getting plenty of games. And Chicharito, the super sub!
Had to actually look it up online just to be sure, fill in the gaps. Players like Fábio, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling… they were all there, young lads. It felt like a team in transition, almost. Some legends still there, some future prospects trying to break through properly.
Why Was I Even Thinking About This?
It wasn’t just about the names, though. Remembering that team brought back the feel of that season. Neck and neck with City. That final day… unbelievable drama. We thought we’d won it, then… well, you know. Aguero. It was gutting, proper heartbreak.
And thinking about it now, it connects to something else. I was working a really demanding job back then. Long hours, tons of stress. Football, especially United, was my escape. Watching Scholes dictate play, seeing Rooney score, Chicharito’s poaching… it was a release valve. That final day heartbreak mirrored some work frustrations I had at the time, funny enough. Felt like putting in a massive effort only to lose out right at the finish line. Sounds daft maybe, but the feeling was similar.
Things are different now. Job’s changed, life’s moved on. Less frantic, maybe a bit more stable. Looking back at that 2012 team, it’s like looking back at a different version of myself too. Full of energy, maybe a bit naive, riding the highs and lows pretty hard. Now? Maybe I appreciate the stability more, like Carrick quietly doing his job in midfield.
So yeah, that was my little trip down memory lane with the 2012 squad. Started with finding an old piece of paper, ended up reflecting on a whole lot more. Funny how these things work.
