Manchester United: Season Review 2007-2008

Introduction:
Away from the "Treble" season of 1998-1999, 2007-2008 was the most successful season in the history of Manchester United Football Club. Attaining the English Premiership title on the last day of the season courtesy of a victory over Wigan Athletic, the team were also victorious in Moscow in the Champions League, when they defeated rivals Chelsea after penalty kicks.

"Double Champions", then, is a look back at the season past, with all of the goals from all of the matches in United's campaign. Interspersed are comments from the players and staff, speaking of how it all occurred.

Video:
Video is presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen, and is very good for a DVD of this genre. The new interview footage is of good quality, and the match visuals are equivalent to what you would expect from digital television.

As concerns the transfer to DVD, there are only minor digital artefacts noticeable here, though nothing that will spoil your enjoyment of this production.





Audio:
Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and is likewise as to be expected from digitally-televised matches. All of the commentary, too, comes from the main football broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Sky Sports, Setanta Sports), so there's no MUTV commentary used here.





Extras:
A look at Cristiano Ronaldo's remarkable goals record is available here as a featurette, and is a nice way to recall as good a season for the Portuguese as anyone could have expected.

There's also a tribute to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, now the United reserve team manager, who this season had to retire due to a chronic knee injury. With interview footage from Solskjaer, speaking of the time he has enjoyed at United, as well as footage of some of his most important goals, this short look at the history of the player is well worth your attention.





Overall:
With so much football available on television these days, it could be argued that there's no reason to go back in history - even back just a few months - to get your football fix. But the reality is exactly the opposite for many fans - yours truly included - who regard "Season Review" DVDs of this type to be invaluable memorabilia of days of yore.

The 1998-1999 disc, "The Treble", remains, ten years on, a wonderful look back at that momentous season, and as such, "Double Champions" will be likewise sooner rather than later.

The DVD itself is wonderful in its simplicity; all of the goals, from all of the matches, are available here, just as fans remember them from the original television broadcasts. Throughout, it's easy to remember where you were, or who you were with, when each match was aired live.

With some of the best players in the world at United, there's plenty to admire in the football itself, with the goals and skill of Ronaldo, to the endeavour of Tevez and Rooney, and the steel of Ferdinand and Vidic. Sir Alex Ferguson himself believes that this is one of United's finest ever teams.

The interview footage with the players and staff is hardly ground-breaking in its newsworthiness, but it is still nice to have the footage broken up by the team's thoughts, on what was a remarkable season.

Overall, "Double Champions" is a fantastic look back at the 2007-2008 season, which will keep an incredible season fresh in mind for many years to come. Any football fan will find enjoyment in this DVD, but for fans of the team, it is an absolute must-have.