James Robson looks at what got Sir Alex Ferguson hot under the collar

How Fergie would look as Clint Eastwoods Dirty Harry

United 3 City 2
Aug 7. Community Shield. Wembley
A sign of things to come. Chris Smalling and two goals from Nani pulled United back from
2-0 down at half-time.
Hairdryer rating: Red hot at half time, but nowhere to be seen on 90 minutes.

West Brom 1 United 2
Aug 14. Premier League. The Hawthorns
David de Gea should have done better when Shane Long equalised Wayne Rooneys opener. Steven Reid own goal seals the points.
Hairdryer rating: Plugged in and ready to go until Reids OG.

United 3 Tottenham 0
Aug 22. Premier League. Old Trafford
Tom Cleverley and Anderson inspire as Spurs are blown away.
Hairdryer rating: In cold storage.

United 8 Arsenal 2
Aug 28. Premier League. Old Trafford
The highlight of the season and proof Fergie has a young
squad that will challenge for years.
Hairdryer rating: Fergie was buzzing but with pure joy.

Bolton 0 United 5
Sept 10. Premier League. Reebok Stadium
Another romp but Tom Cleverley suffers a foot injury that will plague him for much of the season.
Hairdryer rating: Had he
known of Cleverleys longterm loss, he would have been red hot.

Benfica 1 United 1
Sept 14. Champions League. Estadio da Luz
Ryan Giggs salvages a point, but the first sign of Euro struggles.
Hairdryer rating: Nothing compared to what was to come.

United 3 Chelsea 1
Sept 18. Premier League. Old Trafford
Back to winning ways, but a thriller could have ended up 5-5.
Hairdryer rating: Warming up. Signs of defe! nsive im maturity.

Leeds 0 United 3
Sept 20. Carling Cup. Elland Rd
This was one for the old-timers with two from Michael Owen and one from Giggs.
Hairdryer rating: Packed away.

Stoke 1 United 1
Sept 24. Premier League. Britannia Stadium
First dropped points, but United should have had a penalty when Javier Hernandez was injured.
Hairdryer rating: A few sparks but aimed at the officials.

United 3 Basle 3
Sept 27: Champions League. Old Trafford
A last-gasp Ashley Young strike is needed to salvage a point after a 2-0 lead is squandered.
Hairdryer rating: Scalding. Fergie was furious about his sides defensive lapses.

United 2 Norwich 0
Oct 1. Premier League. Old Trafford
Thats more like it. Anderson and Welbeck hand United three points and a clean sheet to boot.
Hairdryer rating: No need to get it out of the case.

Liverpool 1 United 1
Oct 15. Premier League. Anfield
Hernandez salvages a vital point but the game will be remembered for the race row between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra.
Hairdryer rating: No complaints about a point at Anfield Suarez is another issue entirely.

Otelul Galati 0 United 2
Oct 18. Champions League. National Arena
A first win in Europe, courtesy of two Rooney penalties.
Hairdryer rating: Simmering a far from vintage performance.

United 1 City 6
Oct 23. Premier League. Old Trafford
Game that cost United the title. A six-point and 10-goal swing says it all in a season when goal difference determined the title.
Hairdryer rating: Hairdryer? More like a volcano with sent-off Jonny Evans in the firing line.

Aldershot 0 United 3
Oct 25. Carling Cup. EEB Stadium
It would take a lot more than a Carling Cup win to erase the m! emories of the derby disaster.
Hairdryer rating: Still too hot to touch after the City humiliation.

Everton 0 United 1
Oct 29. Premier League. Goodison Park
A hard-fought 1-0 win gets United back on track.
Hairdryer rating: Cooling off.

United 2 Otelul Galati 0
Nov 2. Champions League. Old Trafford
Back-to-back Champions League wins puts United on course for the knockout stages.
Hairdryer rating: Dont put away that continental adaptor just yet though.

United 1 SUnderland 0
Nov 5. Premier League. Old Trafford
Old boy Wes Brown makes a scoring return to the Theatre of Dreams but in the wrong net.
Hairdryer rating: Another
three points keeps it at bay.

Swansea 0 United 1
Nov 19. Premier League. The Liberty Stadium
A fifth straight clean sheet since the City mauling.
Hairdryer rating: No Welsh dragon impressions here.

United 2 Benfica 2
Nov 22. Champions League. Old Trafford
United blow two points and the Champions League knockout stages are now in jeopardy.
Hairdryer rating: Fergie blows several fuses with Phil Jones and David De Gea culpable.

United 1 Newcastle 1
Nov 26. Premier League. Old Trafford
Demba Bas contentious penalty costs United a vital two points.
Hairdryer rating: Too hot to handle once again but its the ref under fire.

United 1 Crystal Palace 2
Nov 30. Carling Cup. Old Trafford
Fergie shuffles his pack, but the jokes on him as Palace stun United in extra time.
Hairdryer rating: Scorching and its just as well this was only the Carling Cup.

Aston Villa 0 United 1
Dec 3. Premier League. Villa Pk
Phil Jones scores the only goal of the game to secure a vital win.
Hairdryer rating:
Cool as a cucumber

!

Basle 2 United 1
Dec 7. Champions League. St Jakob Park
Catastrophe as United are dumped out at the group stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2005.
Hairdryer rating: Hell need a new one for Christmas after tearing a strip off his players.

United 4 Wolves 1
Dec 10. Premier League. Old Trafford
Two each from Rooney and Nani as Uniteds priorities turn to retaining their Premier crown
Hairdryer rating: No complaints, but the Euro exit still stings.

QPR 0 United 2
Dec 18. Premier League. Loftus Road
Michael Carrick scores one of the goals of the season as the Reds domestic form catches fire.
Hairdryer rating: Fergie starting to simmer down after Euro horror show.

Fulham 0 United 5
Dec 21. Premier League. Craven Cottage
High fives at Fulham in the last game before Christmas.
Hairdryer rating: Maybe Santa wont need to bring Fergie a new one after all!

United 5 Wigan 0
Dec 26. Premier League. Old Trafford
Wigan are battered as Dimitar Berbatov hits a hat-trick.
Hairdryer rating: Still wrapped under the tree.

United 2 Blackburn 3
Dec 31. Premier League. Old Trafford
Rooneys dropped after a night out and de Gea drops a clanger as Rovers kill Uniteds chances of ending the year on top. And on Fergies 70th birthday as well.
Hairdryer rating: Where do you start? Both Rooney and De Gea are in line for a blast

Newcastle 3 United 0
Jan 4. Premier League. St James Park
Not so happy New Year in the north east as Ba and Yohan Cabaye score screamers.
Hairdryer rating: In freezing Newcastle, Fergies fury was on Jones and Anders Lindegaard.

City 2 United 3
Jan 8. FA Cup. Etihad Stadium
A 3-0 first-half lead has United fans dreaming of payback f! or the 6 -1. In the end theyre happy to hold out for the win.
Hairdryer rating: Still too hot to handle and there are signs that City will be too.

United 3 Bolton 0
Jan 14. Premier League. Old Trafford
Paul Scholes scores his first goal since stepping out of retirement.
Hairdryer rating: The only thing flaming is Scholes red hair.

Arsenal 1 United 2
Jan 22. Premier League. Emirates
Welbecks late strike sees United complete the double over Arsene Wengers side.
Hairdryer rating: Fergie is purring with delight afterwards.

Liverpool 2 United 1
Jan 28. FA Cup. Anfield
De Gea cant handle Liverpools aerial bombardment and Dirk Kuyts late strike rocks the
Reds.
Hairdryer rating: Nothing fires Fergie up like Liverpool, but here he was left singed, De Gea again the main culprit.

United 2 Stoke 0
Jan 31. Premier League. Old Trafford
Two penalties do the trick as United step up their title pursuit.
Hairdryer rating: Tony Pulis side couldnt Stoke Fergies fire.

Chelsea 3 United 3
Feb 5. Premier League. Stamford Bridge
From 3-0 down, two Rooney penalties and an equaliser from Hernandez completes one of the comebacks of the season.
Hairdryer rating: Fergies glowing, but for good reasons.

United 2 Liverpool 1
Feb 11. Premier League. Old Trafford
Handshake-gate leaves Liverpool red-faced when Suarez snubs Evra in the pre-match line-up. But United have the
last laugh.
Hairdryer rating: Fergie blows a fuse but its over Suarezs antics, rather than the Reds.

Ajax 0 United 2
Feb 16. Europa League. Amsterdam ArenA
A satisfying result as United get their Europa League campaign off to a winning start in Holland.
Hairdryer rating: As cool as you like.

United 1 A! jax 2
Feb 23. Europa League. Old Trafford
Maybe the Europa League wont be so easy after all.
Hairdryer rating: Wouldve been like a Dutch oven if theyd let this one slip.

Norwich 1 United 2
Feb 26. Premier League. Carrow Road
A vital two points look like being dropped until Giggs pops up in the last minute to score on his 900th appearance for United.
Hairdryer rating: Giggs strike saved his team-mates from a grilling.

Tottenham 1 United 3
Mar 4. Premier League. White Hart Lane
United ride their luck to run out comfortable winners.
Hairdryer rating: United make it White Hot Lane, but Fergie isnt burning.

United 2 Athletic Bilbao 3
Mar 8. Europa League. Old Trafford
United are given the run-around by Marcelo Bielsas brilliant side. Its 3-2, but it could have been so much more.
Hairdryer rating: Little point in turning it on. His side have already been given a roasting.

United 2 West Brom 0
Mar 11. Premier League. Old Trafford
Two goals from Rooney sends United top of the league.
Hairdryer rating: United are blowing hot enough as it is

ATH Bilbao 2 United 1
Mar 15. Europa League. San Mames
The Spaniards could have won by a cricket score.
Hairdryer rating: Who needs it? Fergies pulled all of his hair out!

Wolves 0 United 5
Mar 18. Premier League. Molineux
At least the charge on the home front is running smoothly.
Hairdryer rating: No cause to further damage the ozone layer.

United 1 Fulham 0
Mar 26. Premier League. Old Trafford
Rooneys goal seals the three points, but United are let off when Carrick brings down Danny Murphy late on.
Hairdryer rating: Would have been red hot if Fulham had got something out of this
Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United still kings of England

Sir Alex Ferguson's braced for the biggest challenge of all

Blackburn 0 United 2
Apr 2. Premier League. Ewood Park
United leave it late, but it feels like the title is on course.
Hairdryer rating: Uniteds Lancashire hot pot suffices.

United 2 QPR 0
Apr 8. Premier League. Old Trafford
Young goes flying to earn United a penalty as they go eight points clear as City fall at Arsenal.
Hairdryer rating: Wrapped up and safely tucked away.

Wigan 1 United 0
Apr 11. Premier League. DW Stadium
Champagne is put on ice as United slip up.
Hairdryer rating: Fergies fuming, but the title is still on.

United 4 Villa 0
Apr 15. Premier League. Old Trafford
Back on track though Youngs tumble leads to more unwanted scrutiny on the winger.
Hairdryer rating: No fireworks, but Fergie has a word with Young after his latest exploits.

United 4 Everton 4
Apr 22. Premier League. Old Trafford
Leads squandered at 3-1 and 4-2 put the title back in Citys hands.
Hairdryer rating: Rafael bore the brunt of the Reds boss ire.

City 1 United 0
Apr 30. Premier League. Etihad Stadium
Vincent Kompanys strike sees the Blue Moon rise to the top of the table on goal difference.
Hairdryer rating: Fergie blows his fuse in a touchline row with Roberto Mancini and Park fails to justify his selection! .

United 2 Swansea 0
May 6. Premier League. Old Trafford
Title woe hangs in the air after Citys win at Newcastle.
Hairdryer rating: Barely a whimper as the title looks lost.

Sunderland 0 United 1
May 13. Premier League. Stadium of Light
Rooneys goal looks like making United champions. Then Sergio Aguero fires the most important goal in Premier League history.
Hairdryer rating: Fergies barb that City will need 100 years to match Uniteds history shows the fires still burn.

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