Golden goals: Bryan Robson (1985)

It wasn't by accident that Bryan Robson earned the nickname Captain Marvel. Constantly putting his body on the line for club and country during the 1980s, Robson often inspired those around him, dragging every inch out of his ability in order to deliver for Manchester United and England. 

"I have been fortunate to work with some exceptionally gifted footballers, many of them magical, world-class talents," Ron Atkinson explains in Andy Mitten's We're The Famous Man United. "But Robbo, without a doubt, is the finest, the greatest, the most rounded and accomplished footballer I have ever worked with."

It is hardly surprising that Manchester United's manager between 1981-1986 speaks in such glowing terms. After working with him at West Brom, Atkinson brought Robson to Old Trafford for a British club record fee of £1.5 million and by the start of the 1982/83 season the midfielder was made United's captain.

Come the end of the season, Robson lifted the FA Cup, scoring twice in the replay against Brighton. Yet such was his team ethic that he turned down the opportunity to score a hat-trick in United's triumph, rejecting Arnold Muhren's offer to score from the penalty spot. Team before self was always Robson's approach, sometimes to the detriment of his fitness.

The 1983 FA Cup win - along with an appearance in the Milk Cup final - provided a neat summary of United under Atkinson. A fantastic cup side, able to raise themselves for the big games, United could not quite crack the code in the league, often impacted by injuries to key players. Robson missed the Milk Cup final defeat against Liverpool, and his absence was always keenly felt.

Arthur Albiston points this out in Mitten's book. "We had good enough players, we proved that with the results we got against the top sides like Liverpool, but we weren't consistent against your Coventrys. Not winning the league for so long started to weigh heavily on the players, too. That and relying on Bryan Robson. The players sensed that if he was injured, we would struggle. And, unfortunately, Robbo was often injured."

Toppling Liverpool from their perch in the league would prove too much for Atkinson's United. Yet at least their supporters could take solace in the fact that in the league matches played between the clubs in the 1980s, United seemed to have Liverpool's number. During the decade, Liverpool would only beat their rivals twice in the league.

Of course, Liverpool could point to the consolation of numerous league titles, two European Cups, and the Milk Cup win over United. But it says a lot regarding United's record against Liverpool that when the two were paired together in the 1985 FA Cup semi-finals, Atkinson was accurate in his assessment: "This semi-final could not be harder for either side."

"It has the makings of a classic," Liverpool manager Joe Fagan noted. "It's going to be a high tension game and the atmosphere will be electric. The winners will be the ones who keep their nerve." With Everton marching towards the title, both clubs were desperate for FA Cup success. There was no need to hype up this occasion.

Fortunately the FA ruled out the possibility of moving the match to Wembley, fearing the semi would overshadow the showpiece final. It proved a wise decision. Although violence was a constant feature of both matches at Goodison Park and Maine Road, the atmosphere in both matches was off the scale. Brian Moore on commentary, the limbs witnessed, and two matches at club grounds, were key ingredients of the feast.

The Express' Steve Curry described the matches as "a raw embodiment of the best British football has to offer." In a Joy of Six on FA Cup semi-finals article, Rob Smyth offered this precise analysis: "This was football as nature intended, a relentlessly attacking slugfest played by proper men in front of proper men, in an atmosphere that, 26 years on, effortlessly shivers the spine."

Robson opened the scoring at Goodison Park, only to see Ronnie Whelan's fantastic late strike take the match to extra-time. Frank Stapleton put United ahead again, but a controversial late Paul Walsh equaliser forced a replay at Maine Road. For us neutrals, it was a welcome sequel.

There may have been a nagging doubt that United had blown their best chance. Twice in front at Everton, Fagan admitted that he thought Liverpool were fortunate to gain a second chance. When Paul McGrath headed into his own net in the 39th minute of the replay, you could have forgiven Atkinson's men of fearing the worst.

But a team led by Robson would not go down without a fight. Just 75 seconds into the second half Robson collected the ball just inside his own half, played a one-two with Stapleton as he moved across the halfway line, and flicked the ball past a bemused Alan Hansen. Within the blink of an eye, a welcoming gap had opened up.

There was still a lot of ground to cover between Robson and Bruce Grobbelaar's goal. Pursued by Ronnie Whelan and Mark Lawrenson, perhaps Robson knew he would struggle to outpace the pair. So roughly 25 yards from goal, he drew back his left foot. "He's on his way," Moore commented. "Can he find the shot?"

Yes was the emphatic answer to Moore's question. Unleashing a fine left-footed strike, Grobbelaar got hands to the shot. But the power was too much. "Brilliant goal," Moore screamed. "Bryan Robson makes a superb equaliser for Manchester United." By the dugout, a determined Atkinson clinched his fists in delight.

"It was a superb piece of individual play by the England captain," David Lacey reported in the Guardian." It was a goal of remarkable quality from the quite remarkable Robson," Curry wrote. Robson himself would select the equaliser against Liverpool at Maine Road as his best for Manchester United.

"You can do that 25 times on the training pitch and you will miss 24 times, but it was the one time when it went right for me," Robson states in We're The Famous Man United. Not for the first time, Robson had forcefully driven his team on, given them the belief that the match was there for the taking. When Mark Hughes struck the winner in the 58th minute, United were going to Wembley.

As the final whistle sounded, jubilant United fans flooded on to the pitch of their city rivals. Lifting Robson on their shoulders, it made a change for him to be carried for once. "I wasn't too worried," he said as he was swamped. "The fans were just happy although one or two of them were fairly excited." There would be more celebrations on May 18, as ten man United defeated Everton in the final. 

Norman Whiteside's winner at Wembley is rightly celebrated, yet it may not have been possible without Robson's stunning strike at Maine Road. Three times Robson would score equalisers in FA Cup semi-finals for Manchester United, each year he would go on to lift the trophy at Wembley. Cometh the hour, cometh the Captain Marvel. 

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