The 1971–72 season was Manchester United's 70th season in the Football League, and their 27th consecutive season in the top division of English football. In a pre-season competition United participated in the Watney Cup, which was contested by the teams that had scored the most goals in each of the four divisions of the Football League the previous season who had not been promoted or admitted to one of the European competitions.
Before the beginning of the season, on 8 June 1971, Frank O'Farrell was appointed as United manager, more than five months after Wilf McGuinness had been sacked. Sir Matt Busby had returned to the role of manager until the end of the season before returning to his role of director.
Due to Manchester United being banned from playing their first two home matches in Old Trafford, after hooligans had thrown knives into the away section at a match at the end of the previous season, their opening "home" games were played at Anfield and the Victoria Ground.
O'Farrell's first season as United managed started well, and they were top of the league by Christmas. However, a run of seven successive league defeats after the turn of 1972 dragged them down the table. In January and February 1972, United conceded 16 goals, including 5 at Elland Road. O'Farrell attempted to shore up the leaky defence with the signing of Martin Buchan from Aberdeen for a (then) club record fee of £125,000. United never recovered their early season form and they could only manage an eighth-place finish.
Watney Cup DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance31 July 1971Round 1Halifax TownA1–2Best19,765
First Division DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance14 August 1971Derby CountyA2–2Gowling, Law35,38618 August 1971ChelseaA3–2Charlton, Kidd, Morgan54,66320 August 1971ArsenalH3–1Charlton, Gowling, Kidd27,64923 August 1971West Bromwich AlbionH3–1Best (2), Gowling23,14628 August 1971Wolverhampton WanderersA1–1Best46,47931 August 1971EvertonA0–152,1514 September 1971Ipswich TownH1–0Best45,65611 September 1971Crystal PalaceA3–1Law (2), Kidd43,72018 September 1971West Ham UnitedH4–2Best (3), Charlton53,33925 September 1971LiverpoolA2–2Charlton, Law55,6422 October 1971Sheffield UnitedH2–0Best, Gowling51,7589 October 1971Huddersfield TownA3–0Best, Charlton, Law33,45816 October 1971Derby CountyH1–0Best53,24723 October 1971Newcastle UnitedA1–0Best55,60330 October 1971Leeds UnitedH0–153,8846 November 1971Manchester CityA3–3Gowling, Kidd, McIlroy63,32613 November 1971Tottenham HotspurH3–1Law (2), McIlroy54,05820 November 1971Leicester CityH3–2Law (2), Kidd48,76427 November 1971SouthamptonA5–2Best (3), Kidd, McIlroy30,3234 December 1971Nottingham ForestH3–2Kidd (2), Law45,41111 December 1971Stoke CityA1–1Law33,87518 December 1971Ipswich TownA0–029,21327 December 1971Coventry CityH2–2James, Law52,0351 January 1972West Ham UnitedA0–341,9908 January 1972Wolverhampton WanderersH1–3McIlroy47,62622 January 1972ChelseaH0–155,92729 January 1972West Bromwich AlbionA1–2Kidd46,99212 February 1972Newcastle UnitedH0–244,98319 February 1972Leeds UnitedA1–5Burns45,3994 March 1972Tottenham HotspurA0–254,8148 March 1972EvertonH0–038,41511 March 1972Huddersfield TownH2–0Best, Storey-Moore53,58125 March 1972Crystal PalaceH4–0Charlton, Gowling, Law, Storey-Moore41,5501 April 1972Coventry CityA3–2Best, Charlton, Storey-Moore37,8703 April 1972LiverpoolH0–354,0004 April 1972Sheffield UnitedA1–1Sadler45,0458 April 1972Leicester CityA0–235,64912 April 1972Manchester CityH1–3Buchan56,36215 April 1972SouthamptonH3–2Best, Kidd, Storey-Moore38,43722 April 1972Nottingham ForestA0–035,06325 April 1972ArsenalA0–349,12529 April 1972Stoke CityH3–0Best, Charlton, Storey-Moore34,959
FA Cup DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance15 January 1972Round 3SouthamptonA1–1Charlton30,19019 January 1972Round 3ReplaySouthamptonH4–1Best (2), Sadler, Aston50,9665 February 1972Round 4Preston North EndA2–0Gowling (2)27,02526 February 1972Round 5MiddlesbroughH0–053,85029 February 1972Round 5ReplayMiddlesbroughA3–0Morgan, Best, Charlton39,68318 March 1972Round 6Stoke CityH1–1Best54,22622 March 1972Round 6ReplayStoke CityA1–2Best49,192
League Cup DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance7 September 1971Round 2Ipswich TownA3–1Morgan, Best (2)28,1436 October 1971Round 3BurnleyH1–1Charlton44,60018 October 1971Round 3ReplayBurnleyA1–0Charlton27,51127 October 1971Round 4Stoke CityH1–1Gowling47,0628 November 1971Round 4ReplayStoke CityA0–040,80515 November 1971Round 4Second ReplayStoke CityA1–2Best42,249
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK John Connaughton30000030GK Alex Stepney3907060520DF Martin Buchan1312000151DF Francis Burns15(2)1503023(2)1DF Tony Dunne3404030410DF Paul Edwards40200060DF Steve James3715060481DF Tommy O'Neil3707060500DF David Sadler3716160492DF Tony Young5(2)000005(2)0MF John Aston, Jr.2(7)00(1)12(2)04(10)1MF George Best401875635326MF Bobby Charlton40872625312MF John Fitzpatrick10000010MF Sammy McIlroy8(8)41(2)02011(10)4MF Willie Morgan3517161483MF Carlo Sartori0(2)000101(2)0FW Alan Gowling35(2)66(1)26147(3)9FW Brian Kidd341040504310FW Denis Law32(1)13702041(1)13FW Ian Storey-Moore1150000115–Own goals–0–0–0–0
References