Big Ron's Man United Nearly Men

Manchester United’s 1981–1986 era under Ron Atkinson was a thrilling, chaotic, and often heartbreaking chapter in the club’s history. Long before Alex Ferguson ended the title drought, Manchester United 1981–1986 Ron Atkinson delivered explosive attacking football, record-breaking signings like Bryan Robson, and one of the greatest starts to a season in English league history. Yet injuries, defensive fragility, and the pressures of a club desperate for success turned early promise into late-season collapse. This is the story of the nearly men of Old Trafford — the side that lit up the 1980s but ultimately paved the way for a new dynasty.

Even with the impressive levels of under-achievement being exhibited by recent Manchester United sides, it is difficult to fully appreciate the weight of expectation that hung around the club’s neck before Alex Ferguson finally broke their league title drought in 1993.

These last 12 years may have been painful for United, but it is still less than half the 26 years they had to wait before emulating Sir Matt Busby’s greats in winning the title.

Along the way United had some close calls, falling two points short of Liverpool in 1980 under Dave Sexton. But none felt closer than in late September 1985 when Ron Atkinson’s United beat Southampton at Old Trafford. That took their winning start to the season to 10 games.

United tasted defeat for the first time that season at Hillsborough on 9 November, at which point they developed a taste for it

Hopes and expectations had been growing. United had replaced Sexton with Atkinson, a man with a larger-than life personality seemingly big enough for the size of the job. He had also spent big, most notably breaking the British transfer record to be reunited with Bryan Robson from West Bromwich Albion. And in the shape of Mark Hughes and Norman Whiteside, United had two of the brightest young talents in the division.

Atkinson had ended a six-year run without a trophy by guiding United to an FA Cup win in 1983 – a feat he repeated two years later against league champions Everton. United had also topped the table at various points. But while four top four finishes pointed to greater consistency, a league title remained elusive.

Come the start of the 1985-86 season, the time seemed right for Atkinson’s United. English football was in the doldrums. Already tarnished by football hooliganism running amok, it was now recovering from the trauma of the devastating fire at Bradford City’s Valley Parade and the Heysel Stadium disaster within weeks of each other in 1995.

English teams were banned from Europe, attendances were down in the grounds and non-existent off the pitch, as a row of over broadcast rights meant no games were televised before December that season.

Football needed cheering up and Atkinson’ United looked like the team to do it. As he had done at WBA, Atkinson built United with entertainment in mind. This blended the jinking wing play of the Dane Jesper Olsen and effervescence of Gordon Strachan on the flanks, with the drive of Robson and the precocious talents of Hughes and Whiteside – the latter switching to midfield to accommodate the former up front alongside the consistent Frank Stapleton.

Unseen by anyone outside of the grounds, United started the season on fire. They won their first 10 games, including away wins at Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. They scored 27 goals, a rate of almost three goals a game. They fell one short of the 11-game record winning start of the Spurs’ 1961 double-winning side, by drawing at Luton Town. But they won three and drew one of the next four to leave them with 13 wins and two draws after the first 15 games – and a lead of 10 points at the top.

United tasted defeat for the first time that season at Hillsborough on 9 November, at which point they developed a taste for it. United drew with Spurs and Watford and lost at Leicester City in their next three games and, over the rest of the season, could not muster more than a two-match winning run. They lost 10 and drew eight of their last 27 games and ran in fourth – behind Liverpool, Everton and a Frank McAvennie-inspired West Ham.

English teams were banned from Europe, attendances were down in the grounds and non-existent off the pitch, as a row of over broadcast rights meant no games were televised before December

What went wrong? Probably injuries. Crucially injury to Robson – the heartbeat of United at this time - as his dodgy shoulder not only ruined United’s title charge, but also threatened to end England’s World Cup adventure that summer.

Just four United players played more than 30 league games that season, and only the indestructible Mark Hughes and the altogether more destructible Paul McGrath played in 40 games. Crucially the goals dried up for Hughes, who had netted 10 times in United’s unbeaten start. The Welshman’s form was seemingly derailed after an end-of-season transfer to Barcelona was agreed. Neither of his planned replacements, Peter Davenport or Terry Gibson, made much impact.

Despite the calamitous collapse, Atkinson had enough credit in the bank to stay in post. He was still the most successful United manager since Busby, and – with a win ratio of 50% - his 292-game reign at Old Trafford was the longest and most successful in his managerial career.

But such was the scale of collapse that the writing was probably already on the wall. By November, United swapped a serial entertainer for a serial winner in the shape of Alex Ferguson. And the long wait was over.

How We Ranked Them

We have five categories of greatness from our five-star All-Time Greats category at the top to our one-star Blinkered Greats category at the bottom. Despite undoubted love of this team and plenty of musings of what could-have-been if Robson had stayed fit, this United team - with its penchant for highs and lows - is classic

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TOUCH OF GREATNESS

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Listen To The Podcast

We are joined be lifelong Manchester United fan Richard Evans for a journey through, if not one of the most successful, then definitely among the most entertaining Old Trafford sides.

Not even a crowbar needed for this one. Former Oxford United legend Ron Atkinson’s time at Man United was a mix of cup success and humiliation, which included a failure to overcome third-tier Oxford over three ties in the 1983 League Cup. Having drawn the first game at the Manor Ground, Man United failed to finish them off at the Old Trafford in the replay, and were made to pay in extra time of the second replay at the Manor. Still, there was always the FA Cup, Bournemouth away couldn’t be too tricky.