The Sexton Years - Part 4 : December to May 1978/79

Below is the fourth part of Tony Park's look back over "The Sexton Years". You can find the first three parts by clicking on my Blog Archive down the right hand side.

DECEMBER

The final month of 1978 started well. The Reds probably showed their best form of the term with a 3-1 win at the Baseball Ground. McIlroy, Jimmy Greenhoff (again) and Andy Ritchie hitting the back of the net. It was a welcome return to the first team for Ritchie who also scored his first goal for the club as a replacement for the injured Joe Jordan. Back at Old Trafford, McIlroy and Ritchie were on target again as Spurs were swept away in front of a 52, 026 crowd. Steve Paterson made a rare showing from the bench.

Then the season fell apart. A 0-3 reverse at Bolton leading up to Christmas was dreadful. Liverpool came next to town on Boxing Day and gave United a footballing lesson, repeating the scoreline from Burnden Park. Both games saw the introduction of Tom Connell at left back. He never played for the club again. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, West Brom travelled north and although the Reds scored three times….WBA hit five! It was a classic game and anyone wanting to see fantastic attacking football should watch highlights on YouTube. However, the Reds had just shipped eleven goals in three games…eight of them at home!

League: Won 2 Drew 0 Lost 3

The table at New Year showed the Reds in tenth place having won nine games, drawing six and losing seven….ten points behind leaders West Bromwich Albion. Seeing the likes of Bristol City and Coventry City above us in the league must have been galling for supporters brought up with title challenges. While our league form was anything but enthralling, the 39 goals conceded was of a much greater concern. The reality was that Martin Buchan and Stewart Houston were nearing their 30^th birthday’s, Brian Greenhoff was not a fullback, and Jimmy Nicholl and Gordon McQueen were clearly not good enough!

JANUARY

With one of the worst winters hitting Britain since 1963, United could only manage two games in the opening month of the new year and both were Cup matches….a nice break from league disappointment. On the 15^th only 38, 743 turned up to see United defeat Chelsea 3-0 at Old Trafford with goals from Coppell, Jimmy Greenhoff and Ashley Grimes. Two weeks later the Reds drew 1-1 at Fulham in the 4^th Round…Jimmy Greenhoff scoring once again, while Stuart Pearson was carried off in only his second comeback game.

League: Won 0 Drew 0 Lost 0

Steve Coppell - joint top scorer

FEBRUARY

The crowds continued to fall and just over 45,000 turned up to see United lose 0-2 at home to Arsenal. Then in mystifying form the Reds won 3-0 at Maine Road with a Coppell brace and a single from Ritchie. For many it was welcome relief to get back to Cup action. Jimmy Greenhoff scored the winner’s in both Cup ties against Fulham in the replay and Colchester respectively to put United into the last eight. The Barnsley born striker was on the scoresheet once more as United could only draw at home to Aston Villa 1-1 (again) and then a crowd of only 36, 085 bothered to watch Coppell and Greenhoff (J) hit the net in United’s 2-0 home win over QPR.

League: Won 2 Drew 1 Lost 1

MARCH

The goals kept leaking throughout the Spring with eleven being conceded in total. A 2-1 victory at Bristol City with goals by McQueen and Ritchie avenged the home defeat earlier in the campaign before Spurs were defeated in the FA Cup after a replay. Goals by Coppell (2) and Ritchie at Coventry were of little help when then defence let in four at the other end. Then in the following home game against Leeds United, the supporters had something to cheer when Andy Ritchie hit a splendid hat-trick in a 4-1 win. Mickey Thomas also got on the scoresheet, his first goal in United’s colours. The final league game saw a 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough with McQueen and Coppell on target. Before the month closed United contested an exciting FA Cup semi-final with Liverpool at Maine Road. Goals from Jordan (back from injury) and Brian Greenhoff in a 2-2 draw meant a replay at Goodison.

League: Won 2 Drew 1 Lost 1

APRIL

With a backlog of fixtures due to the harsh winter, United played no less than ten games during the penultimate month of the season. 7^th place in the league looked positive enough, but United were clutching to the shirt tails of Forest a place above them. A fantastic stooping header from Jimmy Greenhoff gave United victory over Liverpool in the Cup replay to help the Reds reach Wembley for the third time in four years where they would face Arsenal. A 2-2 draw at Norwich was followed by defeats at home to Bolton and away to Liverpool….both teams doing the double over United. Three further draws at home to Coventry and away to Forest and Spurs saw United drop to mid-table.

Sexton made numerous comments about harsh playing conditions, the fixture pile-up and injuries….but other teams were in similar positions. Most supporters realised United were just not good enough, and this was further evidenced when only 33, 678 supporters turned up to watch a solitary Lou Macari goal give United both points at home to Norwich City. The last two fixtures saw two more draws…0-0 at home to Derby and 1-1 at Southampton with another Ritchie strike.

League: Won 1 Drew 6 Lost 2

MAY

As the season drew to a close, and minds firmly fixed on the FA Cup final, the Reds lost 0-1 at West Brom before returning north and defeating Wolves 3-2 at Old Trafford with goals from Coppell (2) and Ritchie.

Wembley

A disappointing game in reality, it only got going in the final moments. United were 0-2 down and although not outplayed, the problems of poor defending and lack of fire-power up front was in evidence once again. Gordon McQueen gave United a lifeline before Sammy McIlroy scored what was probably his best ever United goal to make the scores level. Then with seconds remaining, a mistake by Gary Bailey led to Arsenal’s winner and United lost 2-3. It was a terrible disappointment for the travelling Reds but it only plastered over cracks in a poor team.

Arsenal celebrate winning the FA Cup in 1979

Unsurprisingly, United drew their last game 1-1 at Old Trafford to pull the curtain down on a very disappointing campaign. 

SUMMARY

At the end of the term United had finished 9^th in the league having won 15 games, drawn 15 and lost 12. While 60 goals were scored, 25 less than champions Liverpool, they had conceded a massive 63….Liverpool conceded only 16!

While McQueen and Buchan rarely missed games, their presence had little impact on trying to keep a tight defence. At the other end, Joe Jordan only scored 6 goals in 30 league games. For all the talk of his hold up play and making goals for others, this was a terrible return once again. The young Andy Ritchie notched 9 in 16!

The signing of Mickey Thomas baffled fans, and while he was a tidy player who worked hard, he was not United quality. The Irish signings at the beginning of the term were not good enough and Sexton’s transfer dealings up to this point were poor at best. Crowds were down and supporters were unsettled.

Steve Coppell was an ever present and in fine form and finished equal top scorer in the league while Sammy McIlroy only missed two games.

Jimmy Greenhoff was voted Player of the Year notching 18 goals in all competitions and Gary Bailey was the Young Player of the Year.

In the wings Kevin Moran and Mike Duxbury were biding their time but throwing youngsters into a poor team rarely succeeds.

The 1979/80 season was going to be a defining term for Dave Sexton.

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