In 1990, Mark Robins played a crucial role in Manchester United’s victory in the FA Cup, which was the first major trophy of Alex Ferguson’s managerial tenure at the club. In the semi-final replay against Oldham Athletic, Robins scored the winning goal, securing United’s spot in the final. This goal proved to be a turning point in the club’s history, as it is widely speculated that Ferguson would have been sacked had United lost and gone out of the Cup.
During the 1990 season, Robins scored nine goals in all competitions, with seven goals in the First Division and two in the FA Cup. His goal in the third round of the FA Cup also made him the first player to score a goal for Manchester United in the 1990s. Despite his strong performance, he faced competition from Brian McClair for the role of the club’s regular second striker.
In the 1990-91 season, Robins struggled to maintain his form, making only 19 First Division appearances and scoring four goals. However, he was part of the squad that won the European Cup Winners’ Cup that season. In the following season, he played only eight times in all competitions and failed to score in the league.
Robins did manage to score twice in the League Cup second round at home to Portsmouth, but when the opportunity to return to the first team arose, he was injured and unable to play. Despite these setbacks, he did earn a European Super Cup winner’s medal (as an unused substitute) when United beat Red Star Belgrade in November 1991.
At the end of the 1991-92 season, Robins asked to be transferred.