When Manchester United weren't rubbish - a photo trip down memory lane for fans

It has been a rough decade for the Old Trafford faithful, who haven’t really seen much success since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as manager in 2013. There have been a few odd trophies here and there, but nothing like what Man United fans would consider the “good old days”.

For those who are a little older, they will remember when the Red Devils were the dominant force in English football; teams like Arsenal and Chelsea still had their days in the sun, but it was always Man United who came out on top.

These are some of the club’s best seasons in recent memory - as well as what made them so special.

1992/93 season

The famous class of ‘92 got their big break, with the likes of David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Gary Neville being brought into the senior squad, although none of them actually played. Instead, it was the familiar faces of Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes leading the line, with the indomitable duo of Steve Bruce and Denis Irwin in defence.

Here, Man United ended their 26-year run without winning a league title, winning the Premier League in the first season of its existence (it had previously just been called Division One). A symbol that the future seemed bright also came in the form of a fresh-faced Ryan Giggs, who was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year.

1995/96 season

In the summer transfer window, Sir Alex Ferguson sold the likes of Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis - then raised eyebrows among pundits by not replacing them. His logic was that the young players coming through the academy were perfectly capable of getting the job done themselves.

Cruising to both the Premier League title and FA Cup victory, this was the season where David Beckham, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers cemented themselves in the starting XI, with Scholes in particular having a stand-out season, with 14 goals in 18 appearances.

1998/99 season

The beloved treble season went down in history with Man United fans, with the Red Devils winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. Dwight Yorke was the team’s top goalscorer that season, finding the back of the net 29 times in all competitions.

Considered Sir Alex Ferguson’s greatest footballing achievement (although this reporter ranks one season just a tad higher on the list), it was a season where comebacks where the order of business; Man United became infamous - and hated - for coming back from behind to win games. From the brink of elimination against Liverpool in the FA Cup to the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, this team could never be counted out.

2006/07 season

After Arsenal’s magnificent invincibles season, where they didn’t lose a Premier League match all season on their way to the title, followed by a domestic double by Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, the early-mid 2000s had been a tough time for Man United domestically.

But that all changed in the 2006/07 season. Buoyed by world class talents like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir Alex Ferguson built what some might consider to be a dream team, from Van der Sar in goal to Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic’s fearsome defensive pairing. Man United became a team to be feared once again, and the club went on to win the league in three consecutive seasons.

2012/13 season

In my opinion, this was Sir Alex Ferguson’s magnum opus. Sure, Man United only won the Premier League, being dumped out of both domestic cups and the Champions League early on - but look at the tools the Scottish manager was working with.

This squad was, for lack of a better description, utter s***. The superstars of yesteryear were well and truly over the hill, and yet the likes of Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand were still being shoehorned into the side. A midfield partnership of Tom Cleverley and Anderson was, on paper, the sporting equivalent of sticking your head in a vat of acid. Meanwhile on the wings, Nani was proving to be nowhere near the generational talent of Ronaldo, while Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia competed to see who could be more worthless on the other flank.

And yet, on their day, Sir Alex had them playing football on a different plane of existence. Sure, they may have been somewhat carried by summer signing Robin van Persie, but make no mistake - this was a remarkable achievement against all odds.