ALEX FERGUSON ARRIVES.
After Sir Matt Busby’s departure, replacements were Wilf Guinness, later to be relieved of his position and temporarily Sir Matt took over again, Frank O’Farrell who was also short lived at the club. Then in 1972 Tommy Docherty, but after losing some key players and being relegated and then promoted back again 1975. Two FA Cup finals followed, losing in 1976 but beating Liverpool a year later. Docherty was later sacked due to his private life, now made public. Dave Sexton was to manage the club from 1977 to 1981 with a few highs but not much in the line of success Sexton was another one sacked. Ron Atkinson was next to manage, although he made some record breaking transfers in money terms and the team were finishing higher in the tables, little was seen in silverware. In 1983 they were beaten in the Milk (league) Cup and won the FA Cup final. FA Cup success again in 1985 beating Everton 1 – 0 but Atkinson became another sacking casualty 18 months later.
1986 saw the arrival of a proven success by the name of Alex Ferguson. With some time needed, some encouraging results and new signings made, over the next four years the team started to pick itself up again. Alex and Man U saw the first silverware in 1990 winning the FA Cup. The European Cup Winners Cup was another success in 1991, 23 years after the clubs last success in Europe. 1992 won the League Cup. 1992/93 won the League Championship with consistent goal scoring from newly signed Eric Cantona. 1993/94 Man U won the FA Cup and League double. 1995/96 they did it again, a ‘Double Double’. 1997 Man U won the League Championship yet again after which Cantona retired from football. 1997/98 saw Manchester United go empty handed.
1998/99 saw United back in the FA Cup final and winning against Newcastle. Also the premiership title had been won a few days earlier against Tottenham, this was another double for the club. But further glory was around the corner, the double became a treble after winning the European Cup for the first time since 1968 in a final against Bayern Munich. This in return brought Alex a knighthood. Yet more glory for the club as the treble became a quadruple by winning the Inter-Continental Cup. Man U were officially the best club in the world.
A new decade dawned and united achieved their sixth premiership title. A third successive title came in 2000/01, Liverpool were the last club to do this in 1982, 1983 and 1984. With new signing Rio Ferdinand, Man U once again captured the premiership title in 2003. Won the FA Cup for the eleventh time in 2004. Lost against Arsenal the following year 2005. Then a year later the Carling Cup was a triumph for united. The following season saw Ferguson and his players claim the premiership title yet again. A European Double came in 2007/08. It is with Alex Ferguson that Manchester United has had the most success in silverware in their history.
