Regardless of whether you love them, hate them, or sit somewhere in the middle, it is a fact that Manchester United were once the dominant force in English football.
A trip to Old Trafford for any visiting club between 1992 and 2013 presented a seismic task. Their home record for almost two decades was impeccable, and they put many a good team to the sword.
But there were moments, for Sunderland and other sides, where the unexpected happened, and we scored a goal or two, or even snatched a surprise
result at Old Trafford.
Fast forward to 2025, and Manchester United have long since fallen from their throne. The retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson 12 years ago started a steady decline, which is showing no signs of reversing despite multiple managerial changes and multi-millions spent on players.
Old Trafford is no longer the best club stadium in England (as it arguably was in the 1990s), with age, years of neglect, and the emergence of new modern arenas elsewhere sending the Theatre of Dreams down the pecking order.
Nevertheless, when Sunderland take to the field tomorrow, we are still taking on Manchester United at Old Trafford. For me, and possibly everyone over the age of 35 or 40, this will always be the biggest away trip in English football.
There’s an aura about it and a certain prestige. Crowds of 70,000, the legends who have graced the Old Trafford pitch, from the Busby Babes to Fergie’s fledglings and beyond. There’s always that feeling that, for one day only, we will get maximum media attention, and if we pull off a decent result, we’ll be first on Match of the Day.
I remember attending the Premier League fixture there in 2001/02. We were struggling during the latter stages of Peter Reid’s tenure, but I went there on the bus with my dad, dreaming of what we might achieve if it just so happened to be our day. For 90 minutes, we had the chance to steal the footballing limelight of that weekend.
It wasn’t to be, as we lost 4-1 – but Kevin Phillips gave us a special moment in the 12th minute when he found the bottom corner from 20 yards out at the Stretford End. It gave us hope and, briefly, we dared to dream long before the slogan was written.
There are always nerves going into a game at Old Trafford. Certainly in the past, there was always that fear of a heavy defeat – making anything better than that all the more thrilling.
As Sunderland prepare for tomorrow’s game, many people are backing us – and in some cases expecting us – to turn over Rúben Amorim’s struggling side. Yes, we’ve had a great start, but such thinking is very difficult to process.
I love what we have achieved since winning the play-off final. From the recruitment to the performances, results, and the spirit within our camp, we are truly on an upward curve. I know that we have a good chance of getting something out of the game – and that makes it even more exciting.
But I’m not getting carried away. I still believe, just as I did in years gone by, that a draw at Manchester United would be a great result. Let’s not put too much expectation on our Lads. Let them go there and take the game as a free hit after accumulating 11 points from the opening six games.
Let’s all enjoy the occasion. We have earned the right, after eight long years, to play Manchester United at Old Trafford again. Let’s not all assume that we simply have to win – or get despondent if we don’t.
A lot of people dislike the Red Devils. But let’s respect their history, their standing in the game, the monetary value of their squad, and the fact that there remains quality within their ranks. Even Régis Le Bris said yesterday that “we will need to upgrade our performance.” We can absolutely take nothing for granted.
Let’s maintain perspective of our rapid rise from Championship contenders to competitive Premier League side in just a few months.
I’ll treat Saturday like any other previous game at Old Trafford. There will be nerves, excitement, and hope, but not too much expectation. Three short years after our League One days, we’ll be at the forefront of the national footballing spotlight, and if we do win, it’ll be box office!
