Cork's Frank O’Farrell knew all about the pressure of managing Manchester United 

Manchester United might be 13-time Premier League champions but they're in unfamiliar territory this season.

The Red Devils have struggled for form this year and they have yet to face powerhouses like Manchester City with Erling Haaland and Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel.

If could go from bad to worse at Old Trafford, during a time when Erik Aden Haag is trying to establish himself as the manager and dominant voice in the dressing room.

This follows almost a decade of mediocrity for a team who spent the previous twenty years as the top team in English football. The transition can best be summarised by United going from the treble in 1999 under Alex Ferguson to Jose Mourhino claiming his League Cup, Community Shield, and Europa League success in 2017 was a similar achievement.

While the situation may seem grim, it almost mirrors the helter-skelter few years following Matt Busby’s departure from Old Trafford. This was an unsettling time and in the middle of it was Cork man Frank O’Farrell.

He went into a club struggling under the weight of their successes in the 1960s. That period saw a trinity of Denis Law, George Best, and Bobby Charlton win almost every trophy in football.

The decade ended with the club after lifting two league titles, a FA Cup, and the European Cup in 1968. The only thing missing was the Intercontinental Cup, and even at that, United were controversially beaten in the final by Estudiantes.

Matt Busby departed in June 1969 and he was replaced by Wilf McGuinness. The team finished in eighth place in 1970 and they were beaten by Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-finals.

The squad’s attempts to make amends in the autumn saw them only win five games before Christmas. McGuiness was dismissed on December 29 and Sir Matt Busby was brought back to steady the ship.

He steered them to eighth place and the semi-finals of the League Cup. The season ended in May with a 4-3 win over Manchester City and that kickstarted a hunt for a new permanent manager at Old Trafford. Jock Stein, who won Celtic the European Cup in 1967, was tipped to get the job but it was given to Leicester City manager Frank O’Farrell.

BAD START

The Cork man’s first game in charge of United was on July 31, 1971, and he saw his side beaten 2-1 by Halifax Town in the Watney Cup.

It was George Best who scored the first goal of the new boss' tenure and he did so in front of 19,765 fans. Their league campaign began against Derby County at the Baseball Ground on August 14. Alan Gowling and Denis Law both scored in a 2-2 draw against Brian Clough’s team, a group who would win the league championship nine months later.

United then won three games in a row, a run which saw the club score nine goals and concede four times. After Everton put an end to their unbeaten start, O’Farrell’s team collected three more wins before drawing with Liverpool. It was a modest start to his reign and there was subtle talk of a title charge by the Cork-man and his team.

United lost only once in the run-up to Christmas, that was against Leeds United at Old Trafford. On New Year’s Day, they were beaten 3-0 by West Ham at Upton Park and that was when things unravelled. 

The team lost seven games in a row and they scored just three league goals during that period.

It was the FA Cup that gave United something to fight for in the spring. The team knocked out Southampton, Preston North End, and Middlesbrough to reach the quarter-finals. They faced Stoke City in the sixth round and the Potters won a replay. United finished the league season in eighth place, the exact same position as 1971 and 1970.

United returned to competitive action on August 12th and they lost to Ipswich Town. The team were then beaten in back-to-back games by Liverpool and Everton. This was followed by four consecutive draws and defeats to Coventry City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The team were suddenly in deep trouble and relegation was a real possibility.

Their first win of the season was in the League Cup and that was a laboured victory over Oxford United, who were in the Second Division. The board had enough after a 5-0 loss to Crystal Palace and Frank O’Farrell was sacked on December 19.

The Cork man returned to management with Cardiff City in November 1973. United’s malaise continued and in 1974 they were relegated to the First Division. It took the club almost 20 years to reach the highs of the 1960s again, and that was under Alex Ferguson.