Manchester United 74/75

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However, with the cost of delivering matches up by 40 per cent in the past five years, and 11 per cent in the past 12 months alone, the modest increase in price for the 2023/24 season is necessary to allow the club to operate on a sustainable basis. Manager John Robson then left the club, to be replaced by John Chapman, who reverted to the dual role of secretary/manager last held by JJ Bentley. Meanwhile, former manager Ernest Mangnall continued to make the local headlines with City, as they moved into a new stadium at Maine Road. It came with a man named Matt Busby, who would prove to be a hugely important figure in the history of Manchester United. A former Manchester City and Liverpool player, Busby served in the Ninth Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment, where his leadership qualities shone through. These qualities did not go unnoticed by United. If not quite as manic as Tottenham manager Antonio Conte, the former Sevilla boss was open with his feelings. Erik ten Hag has been described as the 'most important' cog in the United machine, despite supporters holding out high hopes for success if the Glazers finally make way.

As United subsided, Haaland slid in a third from Kevin de Bruyne's perfect pass then turned provider to set up a simple finish for Foden before the break. Ferguson's first FA Cup, achieved after a replay against Crystal Palace, at the time seemed to be a stand-alone success, one that possibly saved his job after another poor season in the League. But nine years later, it seemed that Lee Martin's winning goal against Palace lit the fuse for an explosion of unprecedented success.The board of directors had kept faith in manager Tommy Docherty despite United's relegation, and he delivered an instant return to the First Division by guiding United to the Second Division title. [2] Despite being a second division side, their average home attendance of 47,781 was still the highest in the country that season. Evidently, United were not in a strong bargaining position and the eventual price - the fourth highest sum ever paid by a Premier League club - is accepted by most to be significantly inflated. United's goal poked City into action with Antony's fine strike merely the catalyst for another onslaught, as Haaland scored the record-breaking third. Abject Man Utd put in their place Arsenal should have equalised when Gabriel Jesus got the better of Martinez and set up Odegaard but neither the Norwegian, nor Saka as Arsenal continued to press could find the target when well placed to do much better. Sheffield Wednesday took part in one of the games of the season, a 4-4 home draw with Man Utd in December, but they were to only score one league goal in the first three months of 1975 and went down with several weeks to spare. The 7,444 who saw Wednesday’s penultimate home game against Oxford was the lowest League crowd in their history. Cardiff sealed their fate by taking only one point from their last six games. Millwall could have stayed up by winning at home to Bristol Rovers in their final match but drew 1-1.

Covid restrictions continued to keep fans away from matches for much of 2020/21. In fact, supporters were not permitted inside Old Trafford until the final home game of the season, in May, when Edinson Cavani scored a stunning long-range goal in a 1-1 draw with Fulham. The Uruguayan striker was one of five players signed that season, alongside Donny van de Beek, Alex Telles, Facundo Pellistri and Amad, and Solskjaer's expanded squad achieved an improved Premier League position as the Reds claimed second spot behind local rivals Manchester City.

Staff members

In selling Eric Cantonato Old Trafford, the Yorkshire club practically handed over the keys to the League championship. The Frenchman brought the little extra bit of magic and confidence that had been missing from United's previous campaigns and was an instant hit with the Mancunian faithful, scoring nine goals to help the Reds win their first title in 26 years. Aligned to established topflight players such as Gerry Daly, Sammy McIlroy, Lou Macari, Brian Greenhoff, Jim McCalliog, Alex Forsyth and Stepney, the notion of this being a team too good to go down, despite league table evidence to the contrary, changed within a few weeks of the new season to one that were far too good for Division Two.

On the pitch, Man Utd experienced their only season at the second level in the last 75 years – a circumstance they have not come close to repeating since. At the other end of the table, Sheffield Wednesday, who had been League members since 1892-93, dropped into Division Three for the first time. The other long wait, for that elusive League championship, very nearly ended in 1992. The Reds had already won the manager's third trophy in March, the League Cup, and were in a two-horse race with Leeds. Liverpool were out of the running, but still had a say in the destiny of the title, beating United 2-0 at Anfield to end their arch rival's challenge.Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has admitted that he would have preferred to have avoided United in the next round of the Carabao Cup. Billy Meredith was still at Old Trafford, but reaching the end of his illustrious Old Trafford career. He made only 19 appearances in 1919/20 when United finished 12th in the First Division. The new hero of the terraces, Joe Spence, finished the season as the team's top scorer with 14 League goals. He was joint-top scorer again in 1920/21, but this time with half the tally as United again under-achieved to finish in 13th place. Sadly, what was perhaps their greatest game on English soil was destined to be the last for that particular Manchester United team. From Highbury, the Babes headed off into Europe to play the second leg of a tie against Red Star Belgrade. Again they won 5-4, this time on aggregate but, on the way home, the celebrations were cut short by tragedy.