JUST DOING HIS JOB

The winning goal scored against Nottingham Forest in January 1990 may not have been spectacular, but it remains one of the most cherished among the Old Trafford diehards. The word on the street — Fleet Street, actually — was that Ferguson, after three seasons in charge without a trophy to his name, would be dismissed if his side failed to secure a third-round victory in their FA Cup tie at the City Ground that Saturday afternoon.

Until late into the second half, that seemed an unlikely prospect. Then Mark Robins reacted first to a cross from Mark Hughes and headed the only goal of the game. If the pressure was on, however, Robins was oblivious to the drama.

“I think the press were better informed than most of us, what with the rumours going around,” he said.

“Certainly, I was not aware of anything, no more than usual. I was just a young lad wanting to make my way in the game.”

“At United there was always a lot of hype before every game. That was the way it was, so I didn’t think the Forest game was any different. It is testament to him (Ferguson) that none of the players felt the pressure at the time.”

So has Ferguson ever thanked the lifelong United fan for his inspired moment of intervention 14 years ago?

“I haven’t seen him since around 1998, when I was playing for Leicester City against United at Filbert Street,” Robins said.

“Did he thank me? He has nothing to thank me for. I was just doing a job of scoring goals.”

“I will always be grateful to him for giving me the opportunity. If it was pivotal in any way to what has happened since, then I am proud to have played some part.”

“We went on to win the FA Cup that year and I think it was a catalyst for change, one that brought a winning culture instead of a losing one to the club. He has done so much in taking the club forward, making it even bigger than it was before. His achievement is second to none.”