As the year draws to a close, Manchester United sit at the top of the Premier League once again - back where we belong. But had you said that this time last year, you'd have been laughed at.

We opened 2006 with a 0-0 draw in our final game at Highbury, drew with Burton in the FA Cup and lost 3-1 in the Manchester derby. Hardly inspiring stuff.

We had already watched our club go out of the Champions League at the group stages and were miles behind Chelsea in the race for the title. According to sections of the media, United and Fergie's time at the top had come to an end.

At the end of January, United welcomed Liverpool to Old Trafford in a game billed as ‘The Battle for Second’. The Anfield side were on an unbeaten run stretching back to October and were one point behind United. However, after a generally boring game in which Liverpool spurned many a chance, Rio Ferdinand grabbed an injury-time winner and United triumphed 1-0. It was a goal described thus by Rio in his autobiography: "The ball was brilliantly delivered by Giggsy. The keeper had no chance, couldn't hope to keep it out, and I exploded. It doesn't get much better than to score a last-minute winner against Liverpool in front of the Stretford End!" Exploded? Well, that's where United's season ‘exploded’ into life.

If ever a spur was needed, that was it. United went on to win the Carling Cup in March following a semi-final win over Blackburn Rovers. Wigan were turned over 4-0 in the Millennium Stadium, with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo running the show.

This was also a turning point for one of the fans' favourites, Ruud van Nistelrooy. Kieran Richardson, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra were the three substitutes used in the final, with Ruud left on the bench. He said later that he also ‘exploded’ - only this explosion ended his prolific United career. "I exploded and started swearing at Ferguson,’’ he revealed. ‘‘That was the killing moment.”

So as well as losing leader Roy Keane and Paul Scholes to injury, United had also lost their prolific, legendary goalscoring machine. Some were gutted to lose Keane to Celtic but when Ruud banged the final nail in his own coffin, it was hard to take - and things just seemed to go from bad to worse for United despite the Carling Cup consolation.

In the final months of the season, Ryan Giggs and Sheasy were our central midfield partnership and Van Nistelrooy was sparingly used from the bench due to his attitude. Still, United launched a last-ditch assault at getting their title back and despite failing to do so finished second, gaining an automatic Champions League spot and going on a run of wins which would normally be associated with winning the league. Pride was restored but what remained was a team missing players through injury or players ready to leave; a team missing Keane, described by some as "the most influential Manchester United player of all time’’.

Then came the summer, explosive for United as usual. The World Cup was overshadowed by England's failure again and the need for a scapegoat. Step forward Mr. Ronaldo.

Rooney was sent off against Portugal, a match England eventually lost on penalties - and it was all down to Cristiano, according to some papers. Ronaldo could be seen running up to the referee and protesting for his nation and Rooney was then shown the red card despite the referee saying this had nothing to do with Ronaldo’s actions - although the sending off was harsh.

The papers wrote that Ronaldo's career in England was over; he could no longer play with Rooney and the English would make his life hell. His house was trashed and his niece attacked. Rooney said in his autobiography: "What the papers didn't know is on the coach on the way home I sent a text to Ronny. I told him to forget about what happened. I wasn't blaming him for interfering. Then I wished him and Portugal good luck in the semis and hoped they got to the final. And I meant it." Still, the papers were hell bent on finding a scapegoat - and Ronaldo was it.

Despite the attacks and threats of more, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United for the new season. Michael Carrick and Tomasz Kusczak were signed, while Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returned "like new signings", according to Sir Alex Ferguson. Van Nistelrooy was the only major departure.

Despite a good pre-season, the Sun, the Times, the BBC and SkySports all predicted Manchester United would finish fourth in the league behind Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Fergie was coming up to 20 years at the helm of United. However, many believed he should no longer have been here running a "team in decline’’ and thought he had to go.

The season started with United thumping Fulham 5-1. Rooney and Ronaldo ran the show and buried any thoughts that they didn't get along. Louis Saha started banging in the goals, Rooney got two in his first game (although an unfair three-match ban hindered his performances) and Ronaldo was also on fire. Scholes, Solskjaer and Giggs were the "new signings" Fergie had promised, Carrick made a quiet but effective start to his United career and Rio and Vidic formed a formidable defence.

Ferguson and Giggs called for goals from all departments and we got them. Saha also blossomed and at the time of writing sits as United's top scorer with 12 goals, with Ronaldo on 10 and Rooney on eight. Fergie had proved himself right once again. Van Nistelrooy was a name barely uttered in the Red half of Manchester. He had to go and it benefited the club.

United won 16 out of their first 20 Premier League games, drawing two and losing two. Four points ahead of Chelsea after 20 games and in pole position. Things are going better than we could have dreamed. We have qualified top of our group in Europe and despite being knocked out of the Carling Cup, look forward to a home tie in the FA Cup against Aston Villa.

At the end of 2005 the Manchester Evening News claimed: "The cracks are so wide that not even a manager with Ferguson's motivational skills can paper over them. If Fergie can arrest this shocking and alarming slump, it will rank with anything he's achieved in all his years at the club."

What a difference a year makes. Sir Alex celebrates his birthday on New Year’s Eve with his team top of the league, still in the Champions League and the FA Cup. We are still very much a team in transition and, regardless of where the title ends up, Ferguson has proved all his doubters wrong again. Rooney and Ronaldo are firing United to the top together and Saha has buried the memory of Ruud.

Altogether United have exploded back onto the scene. We're in the driving seat for our trophy and it tastes sweet after the trials and tribulations of the last 12 months.

Happy New Year!