Match of the Day – Season 1995/96
When Alex Ferguson's side were discussed on Match of the Day on the opening day of the season Des remarked that "United were scarcely recognizable from the team we've known over the past couple of seasons, what's going on do you feel?" Alan Hansen famously replied: "You can't win anything with kids... he's got to buy players, it's as simple as that."
Episodes
13th August 1995: FA Charity Shield: Blackburn Rovers v Everton
In the curtain-raiser to the new soccer season, Premiership champions Blackburn take on FA Cup winners Everton.
19th August 1995
Highlights of two top matches on the opening day of the FA Premiership season, as Chelsea take on Everton and Liverpool play Sheffield Wednesday.
23rd August 1995
Highlights of tonight's FA Premiership match between the current FA Cup holders Everton and Arsenal. Plus goals from the other Premiership matches played since last Saturday.
26th August 1995
Highlights of two of today's matches in the FA Premiership. Bolton Wanderers face reigning champions Blackburn Rovers, and Leeds United take on Aston Villa.
30th August 1995
Highlights of tonight's FA Premiership match between Middlesbrough and Newcastle United at St James' Park. Plus goals from the other Premiership matches played tonight and since last weekend.
9th September 1995
Highlights of two of today's top games in the FA Premiership. At Goodison Park, FA Cup holders Everton take on the team they beat in last year's final, Manchester United. Everton made a winning start to the season with their Charity Shield success over Blackburn, but face a tough test against United. Plus, action from Coventry City v Nottingham Forest. Also, a roundup of today's goals and a chance to enter the August Goal of the Month competition.
16th September 1995
Highlights of two of today's top games in the FA Premiership - Liverpool v Blackburn and Newcastle United v Manchester City - plus a roundup of the day's other goals and talking points.
23rd September 1995
Highlights of two top games in the FA Premiership, including Wimbledon Leeds. Plus, news and action from the rest of the day's Premiership matches.
30th September 1995
Highlights of two top games from today's FA Carling Premiership, including Middlesbrough v Blackburn. Also a roundup of the day's other goals and a chance to enter the September "Goal of the Month" competition.
14th October 1995
Highlights of two of today's top games in the FA Premiership, including Manchester United v Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers v Newcastle United.
21st October 1995
Highlights of two of today's top games in the FA Premiership. Chelsea clash with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge while, across London, West Ham play host at Upton Park to champions Blackburn. Plus, the day's other goals and talking points.
28th October 1995
Highlights of two of today's key games in the FA Premiership, including Aston Villa's home match with FA Cup holders Everton and QPR who are at home to Nottingham Forest. Plus, coverage of the day's other goals.
4th November 1995
Newcastle Utd at home to Liverpool and Manchester Utd's visit to Arsenal are today's key matches in the FA Premiership. Plus, the division's other goals and the October Goal of the Month competition.
11th November 1995: FA Cup First Round
Highlights from two of today's FA Cup first-round ties, with Slough Town and Runcorn, both from the Vauxhall Conference, facing Third Division opposition in the form, respectively, of Plymouth Argyle and Wigan Athletic. Plus, goals and talking points from the rest of the day's first round-action.
18th November 1995
Highlights of two of the season's biggest FA Premiership derbies - Liverpool v Everton and Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal. Plus, the day's other goals and talking points.
25th November 1995
Highlights of two top FA Premiership matches - Newcastle v Leeds and Middlesbrough v Liverpool - plus the day's other goals and news.
2nd December 1995: FA Cup Second Round
Highlights of the FA Premiership fixture between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park, plus a look at today's FA Cup second round ties, and a chance to enter the November Goal of the Month competition.
4th December 1995: FA Cup Draw
England manager Terry Venables and Denis Law will tonight decide the home and away matches in this year's FA Cup Third Round draw, live from Lancaster Gate. Afterwards, Desmond Lynam will hear the reactions of football personalities, celebrities and fans.
9th December 1995
Highlights of today's key FA Premiership match between Chelsea and Newcastle United. Plus, the day's other Premiership goals and talking points.
16th December 1995
Two derby clashes from today's FA Premiership programme. At Highbury, Arsenal face London rivals Chelsea, with Dutch internationals Dennis Bergkamp and Ruud Gullit expected to line up on opposite sides. In the Midlands, manager Ron Atkinson visits his former club, Aston Villa , when he takes Coventry City to Villa Park. Plus, today's other goals and analysis of the main talking points.
23rd December 1995
Action from today's major FA Premiership fixtures, Newcastle v Nottingham Forest and Liverpool v Arsenal, plus the day's other Premiership goals.
30th December 1995
Highlights of two of today's top FA Premiership matches, West Ham Utd v Newcastle Utd, and Manchester Utd v Queens Park Rangers.
1st January 1996
Highlights from today's top FA Premiership matches, including Liverpool v Nottingham Forest, Spurs v Manchester United, and Middlesbrough v Aston Villa. And there's a roundup of today's other goals and main talking points, plus a chance to enter December's Goal of the Month competition.
6th January 1996: FA Cup Third Round
Action from the FA Cup third round, in which the FA Premiership and Division One clubs join the survivors from earlier rounds.
7th January 1996: FA Cup Third Round: Chelsea v Newcastle United
Coverage from Stamford Bridge of the only all-Premiership tie in this season's FA Cup third round as Chelsea take on Newcastle United. This is the teams' third meeting this season. The score currently stands at 1-1, with Newcastle winners at St James's Park in September, while Chelsea turned the tables at Stamford Bridge last month. Plus, live coverage of the draw for the fourth round.
13th January 1996
Highlights of two of today's top FA Premiership matches, Spurs v Manchester City and Leeds v West Ham, plus the rest of today's goals and talking points.
20th January 1996
Highlights of two of today's key games in the FA Premiership, including Manchester City v Coventry City. Plus, the rest of today's goals and talking points.
27th January 1996: FA Cup Fourth Round
Highlights of three of today's FA Cup fourth round ties, plus action from the rest of the draw.
28th January 1996: FA Cup Fourth Round: Sheffield United v Aston Villa
Coverage of this FA Cup fourth round tie from Bramall Lane. Villa have been transformed from a side which narrowly missed relegation a year ago to one challenging for honours at the top of the Premiership, while United have also undergone something of a transformation since Howard Kendall took over last month. Plus, the draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup will be made after today's tie.
29th January 1996: FA Cup Fourth Round: Queens Park Rangers v Chelsea
Highlights of tonight's FA Cup fourth round tie between Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea at Loftus Road. Could QPR be another of those clubs to embark on a successful FA Cup run away from the rigours of a relegation battle in the League?
3rd February 1996
Highlights of two key games in the FA Premiership, including Newcastle United v Sheffield Wednesday. Plus, the rest of the day's Premiership action, and the chance to enter January's Goal of the Month competition.
10th February 1996
Highlights of today's north-eastern derby in the FA Premiership, Middlesbrough v Newcastle United, plus the day's other Premiership goals and main talking points.
17th February 1996: FA Cup Fifth Round
Highlights of three of today's top FA Cup fifth round ties, plus action and drama from the rest of today's ties.
18th February 1996: FA Cup Fifth Round: Manchester United v Manchester City
Coverage from Old Trafford of today's FA Cup fifth round match. United are chasing a place in a third successive FA Cup final, while Manchester City could face the rivals they last beat in 1989. Plus, after the match, the sixth-round draw.
24th February 1996
Highlights of two of today's top matches in the FA Premiership, including Chelsea's visit to Southampton. Plus, the day's other goals and talking points.
2nd March 1996
Highlights of two of today's key matches in the FA Premiership, including Spurs v Southampton. Plus, a chance to enter February's Goal of the Month competition, and the day's other goals and talking points.
9th March 1996: FA Cup Sixth Round
Highlights of today's FA Cup quarter-final, Chelsea v Wimbledon, and the fifth round replay, Spurs v Nottingham Forest. Plus, today's FA Premiership goals.
10th March 1996: FA Cup Sixth Round: Leeds United v Liverpool
Coverage of this afternoon's FA Cup sixth round tie which could bring together two of the greatest names in English football. Plus, the live draw for the semi-finals.
11th March 1996: FA Cup Sixth Round: Manchester United v Southampton
Highlights of tonight's FA Cup sixth round tie between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford.
16th March 1996
Action from two of today's FA Premiership games, including Liverpool v Chelsea at Anfield. Plus, the day's other goals and main talking points.
23rd March 1996
Featuring highlights of Arsenal v Newcastle United as Kevin Keegan 's team continue their chase for the FA Premiership title. Plus, goals and news from the day's other Premiership games.
30th March 1996
Featuring highlights of Bolton Wanderers v Manchester City, and goals and news from the day's other Premiership games.
31st March 1996: FA Cup Semi-Final: Chelsea v Manchester United
Coverage of the day's first FA Cup semi-final from Villa Park. Manchester Utd will be looking to reach their third successive final while Chelsea will be hoping to bury the ghosts of their 1994 final against United who won 4-0.
31st March 1996: FA Cup Semi-Final: Aston Villa v Liverpool
Highlights of today's second FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford where Aston Villa faced Liverpool.
6th April 1996
Highlights of two of today's top FA Premiership games, including Newcastle Utd against Queen's Park Rangers, from St James' Park. Plus, the day's other goals and action, and a chance to enter March's Goal of the Month competition.
8th April 1996
Highlights of tonight's FA Premiership match between Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United from Ewood Park. Plus, the rest of the day's goals and talking points.
13th April 1996
FA Premiership highlights, including Southampton v Manchester United, plus the day's other goals and action.
27th April 1996
Action from today's key games in the FA Premiership, including the vital relegation match between Bolton and Southampton. Plus, the day's other goals and talking points.
5th May 1996
Highlights of the final day of the FA Premiership. With Newcastle Utd and Manchester Utd vying for the game's ultimate domestic honour, Manchester Utd travel to Middlesbrough, and Newcastle are at home to Tottenham Hotspur. Plus, today's other Premiership highlights, news of Uefa Cup qualifiers and April's Goal of the Month competition.
11th May 1996: FA Cup Final: Liverpool v Manchester United
Highlights of today's FA Cup final between Liverpool and Manchester United at Wembley. The last time these great rivals met in the final was 19 years ago, when United won 2-1. Since then, United have won the trophy four times to Liverpool's three.
18th May 1996: England v Hungary
Highlights of today's international between England and Hungary at Wembley, England's last home game before the European Championships begin in three weeks' time.
23rd May 1996: China v England
Highlights from Beijing of China v England, the latter's first match on their Euro 96 warm-up tour of the Far East. Next, they take on a Hong Kong Select side before preparing at home for that first match in the European championship against Switzerland on 8 June.
26th May 1996: England v Hong Kong
Highlights of the match between England and Hong Kong Golden Select at the Hong Kong Stadium.