Login
Login

1985–86 Manchester United F.C. season

{{Short description|104th season in existence of Manchester United}}

{{moresources|date=April 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}

{{Infobox football club season

| club = Manchester United

| season = 1985–86

| manager = Ron Atkinson

| chairman = Martin Edwards

| league = First Division

| league result = 4th

| cup1 = FA Cup

| cup1 result = Fifth round

| cup2 = League Cup

| cup2 result = Fourth round

| cup3 = Football League Super Cup

| cup3 result = Group stage

| cup4 = Charity Shield

| cup4 result = Runners-up

| league topscorer =
Mark Hughes (17)

| season topscorer =
Mark Hughes (18)

| highest attendance = 54,575 vs Tottenham Hotspur (16 November 1985)

| lowest attendance = 20,130 vs Norwich City (6 November 1985)

| average attendance = 42,821

| pattern_la1 = _manutdh8486 |pattern_b1 = _manutdh8486 |pattern_ra1 = _manutdh8486 |pattern_sh1 = _manutd8486 |pattern_so1 = _manutdh8486

| leftarm1 = E20E0E |body1 = E20E0E |rightarm1 = E20E0E |shorts1 = FFFFFF |socks1 = 000000

| pattern_la2 = _manutda8486 |pattern_b2 = _manutda8486 |pattern_ra2 = _manutda8486 |pattern_sh2 = _manutd8486 |pattern_so2 = _manutda8586

| leftarm2 = FFFFFF |body2 = FFFFFF |rightarm2 = FFFFFF |shorts2 = 000000 |socks2 = FFFFFF

| pattern_la3 = _manutdh8486 |pattern_b3 = _manutd38486 |pattern_ra3 = _manutdh8486 |pattern_sh3 = _adidaswhite |pattern_so3 = _color_3_stripes_white

| leftarm3 = 0000C0 |body3 = 0000C0 |rightarm3 = 0000C0 |shorts3 = 0000C0 |socks3 = 0000C0

| prevseason = 1984–85

| nextseason = 1986–87

}}

The 1985–86 season was Manchester United's 84th season in the Football League, and their 11th consecutive season in the top division of English football.{{cite web |url=http://www.stretfordend.co.uk/seasons/season1986.html |title=Manchester United Season 1985/86 |access-date=21 December 2011|publisher=StretfordEnd.co.uk }}

Despite having won the FA Cup the previous season, the team was unable to compete in the 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup due to the five-year ban on English clubs competing in European competitions that was imposed following the Heysel Stadium disaster at the 1985 European Cup Final. Instead, the clubs who would have qualified for Europe all competed in the Football League Super Cup.

With no European action to distract them, they got off to a 10-match winning start in the league. They were unbeaten from their first 15 games with 41 points as at 2 November with 13 wins and 2 draws. The size of their lead at that point helped them stay top of the league until the beginning of February, despite taking only 35 points from their last 27 games and finishing fourth in the league on 76 points, 12 points behind champions Liverpool. There was no success in the cup competitions to fall back on, leading to doubts about the future of Ron Atkinson as manager. He had completed five seasons as manager without them finishing outside the top four and had won two FA Cups, but the wait for a league title was now entering its 20th season.

Media reports linked two managers with a move to Old Trafford: Terry Venables, who had just rejected an offer to return to England from Barcelona to take charge at Arsenal; and Alex Ferguson, whose Aberdeen side had broken the Old Firm dominance of Celtic and Rangers in recent seasons. Despite this speculation, Atkinson remained in charge of United into the following season, but the pressure on him to deliver success to the club remained intense.

The ban on English clubs in European competitions was extended to a second season, meaning that United would not be able to compete in the 1986–87 UEFA Cup.

Mark Hughes was once again United's top scorer, scoring 17 goals in the league and 18 in all competitions. However, he was less prolific during the second half of the season after scoring 11 times before Christmas, and on 21 March 1986 it was announced that he would be leaving United at the end of the season to sign for FC Barcelona of Spain in a £2million deal. United had already signed Nottingham Forest striker Peter Davenport as his successor. United had signed another striker, Terry Gibson from Coventry City, just after the turn of the new year.

United's title challenge was also not helped by the fact that captain Bryan Robson was only available for half of the club's league games this season due to injuries.

FA Charity Shield

{{main|1985 FA Charity Shield}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Date

!Opponents

!H / A

!Result
F–A

!Scorers

!Attendance

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|10 August 1985

|Everton

|N

|0–2

|

|82,000

First Division

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Date

!Opponents

!H / A

!Result
F–A

!Scorers

!Attendance

!League
position

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|17 August 1985

|Aston Villa

|H

|4–0

|Whiteside 48', Hughes (2) 50', 75', Olsen 84'

|49,743

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|20 August 1985

|Ipswich Town

|A

|1–0

|Robson 63'

|18,777

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|24 August 1985

|Arsenal

|A

|2–1

|Hughes 20', McGrath 65'

|37,145

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|26 August 1985

|West Ham United

|H

|2–0

|Strachan 47', Hughes 55'

|50,773

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|31 August 1985

|Nottingham Forest

|A

|3–1

|Hughes 2', Barnes 5', Stapleton 41'

|26,274

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|4 September 1985

|Newcastle United

|H

|3–0

|Stapleton (2) 5', 11', Hughes 62'

|51,102

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|7 September 1985

|Oxford United

|H

|3–0

|Whiteside 29', Robson 44', Barnes 72'

|51,820

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|14 September 1985

|Manchester City

|A

|3–0

|Robson (pen.) 8', Albiston 19', Duxbury 73'

|48,773

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|21 September 1985

|West Bromwich Albion

|A

|5–1

|Brazil (2) 6', 80', Strachan 22', Blackmore 71', Stapleton 73'

|25,068

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|28 September 1985

|Southampton

|H

|1–0

|Hughes 75'

|52,449

|1st

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|5 October 1985

|Luton Town

|A

|1–1

|Hughes 61'

|17,454

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|12 October 1985

|Queens Park Rangers

|H

|2–0

|Hughes 31', Olsen 52'

|48,845

|1st

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|19 October 1985

|Liverpool

|H

|1–1

|McGrath 65'

|54,492

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|26 October 1985

|Chelsea

|A

|2–1

|Olsen 41', Hughes 76'

|42,485

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|2 November 1985

|Coventry City

|H

|2–0

|Olsen (2) 18', 41'

|46,748

|1st

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|9 November 1985

|Sheffield Wednesday

|A

|0–1

|

|48,105

|1st

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|16 November 1985

|Tottenham Hotspur

|H

|0–0

|

|54,575

|1st

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|23 November 1985

|Leicester City

|A

|0–3

|

|22,008

|1st

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|30 November 1985

|Watford

|H

|1–1

|Brazil 68'

|42,181

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|7 December 1985

|Ipswich Town

|H

|1–0

|Stapleton 30'

|37,981

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|14 December 1985

|Aston Villa

|A

|3–1

|Blackmore 19', Strachan 67', Hughes 71'

|27,626

|1st

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|21 December 1985

|Arsenal

|H

|0–1

|

|44,386

|1st

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|26 December 1985

|Everton

|A

|1–3

|Stapleton 14'

|42,551

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|1 January 1986

|Birmingham City

|H

|1–0

|C. Gibson 50'

|43,095

|1st

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|11 January 1986

|Oxford United

|A

|3–1

|Whiteside 11', Hughes 74', C. Gibson 83'

|13,280

|1st

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|18 January 1986

|Nottingham Forest

|H

|2–3

|Olsen (2) 46' (pen.), 67'

|46,717

|1st

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|2 February 1986

|West Ham United

|A

|1–2

|Robson 26'

|22,642

|2nd

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|9 February 1986

|Liverpool

|A

|1–1

|C. Gibson 15'

|35,064

|2nd

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|22 February 1986

|West Bromwich Albion

|H

|3–0

|Olsen (3) 26' (pen.), 53' (pen.), 70'

|45,193

|2nd

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|1 March 1986

|Southampton

|A

|0–1

|

|19,012

|2nd

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|15 March 1986

|Queens Park Rangers

|A

|0–1

|

|23,407

|3rd

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|19 March 1986

|Luton Town

|H

|2–0

|Hughes 37', McGrath 76'

|33,668

|3rd

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|22 March 1986

|Manchester City

|H

|2–2

|C. Gibson 2', Strachan (pen.) 58'

|51,274

|3rd

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|29 March 1986

|Birmingham City

|A

|1–1

|Robson 84'

|22,551

|3rd

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|31 March 1986

|Everton

|H

|0–0

|

|51,189

|3rd

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|5 April 1986

|Coventry City

|A

|3–1

|C. Gibson 13', Robson 28', Strachan 82'

|17,160

|3rd

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|9 April 1986

|Chelsea

|H

|1–2

|Olsen (pen.) 68'

|45,355

|3rd

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|13 April 1986

|Sheffield Wednesday

|H

|0–2

|

|32,331

|3rd

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|16 April 1986

|Newcastle United

|A

|4–2

|Robson (pen.) 2', Hughes (2) 17', 44', Whiteside 50'

|31,840

|3rd

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|19 April 1986

|Tottenham Hotspur

|A

|0–0

|

|32,357

|3rd

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|26 April 1986

|Leicester City

|H

|4–0

|Stapleton 17', Hughes 83', Blackmore 85', Davenport (pen.) 87'

|38,840

|3rd

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|3 May 1986

|Watford

|A

|1–1

|Hughes 26'

|18,414

|4th

{{:1985–86 Football League|transcludesection=First Division|showteam=MUN|only_totals=y}}

FA Cup

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Date

!Round

!Opponents

!H / A

!Result
F–A

!Scorers

!Attendance

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|9 January 1986

|Round 3

|Rochdale

|H

|2–0

|Stapleton 15', Hughes 68'

|40,223

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|25 January 1986

|Round 4

|Sunderland

|A

|0–0

|

|35,484

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|29 January 1986

|Round 4
Replay

|Sunderland

|H

|3–0

|Whiteside 28', Olsen (2) 38', 54' (pen.)

|43,402

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|5 March 1986

|Round 5

|West Ham United

|A

|1–1

|Stapleton 73'

|26,441

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|9 March 1986

|Round 5
Replay

|West Ham United

|H

|0–2

|

|30,441

Football League Cup

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Date

!Round

!Opponents

!H / A

!Result
F–A

!Scorers

!Attendance

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|24 September 1985

|Round 2
First leg

|Crystal Palace

|A

|1–0

|Barnes 59'

|21,507

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|9 October 1985

|Round 2
Second leg

|Crystal Palace

|H

|1–0

|Whiteside 38'

|26,118

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|29 October 1985

|Round 3

|West Ham United

|H

|1–0

|Whiteside 77'

|32,056

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|26 November 1985

|Round 4

|Liverpool

|A

|1–2

|McGrath 7'

|41,291

Football League Super Cup

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Date

!Round

!Opponents

!H / A

!Result
F–A

!Scorers

!Attendance

bgcolor="#ddffdd"
bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|18 September 1985

|Group stage

|Everton

|H

|2–4

|Robson (pen.) 45', Stapleton 61'

|33,859

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|6 November 1985

|Group stage

|Norwich City

|H

|1–1

|Whiteside (pen.)

|20,130

bgcolor="#ffdddd"

|4 December 1985

|Group stage

|Everton

|A

|0–1

|

|20,542

bgcolor="#ffffdd"

|11 December 1985

|Group stage

|Norwich City

|A

|1–1

|C. Gibson

|15,449

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
colspan=10|Group 1
width=30|{{tooltip|Pos.|Position}}

!width=150|Team

!width=30|{{tooltip|Pld.|Matches played}}

!width=30|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}

!width=30|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}

!width=30|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}

!width=30|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}

!width=30|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}

!width=30|{{tooltip|GD|Goal difference}}

!width=30|{{tooltip|Pts.|Points}}

bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|1

align=left|Everton

|4

30163+39
bgcolor="#ddffdd"

|2

align=left|Norwich City

|4

1213305
3align=left|Manchester United

|4

02247–32

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Squad statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
rowspan="2" valign="bottom"|Pos.

!rowspan="2"|Name

!colspan="2" width="85"|League

!colspan="2" width="85"|FA Cup

!colspan="2" width="85"|League Cup

!colspan="2" width="85"|Other

!colspan="2" width="85"|Total

Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

align="left"|GKalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Gary Bailey

|25

0204030340
align="left"|GKalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Chris Turner

|17

0300020220
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|SCO}} Arthur Albiston

|37

1503030481
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|WAL}} Clayton Blackmore

|12

32(2)0204020(2)3
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Mike Duxbury

|21(2)

130302029(2)1
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Billy Garton

|10

0100010120
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} John Gidman

|24

0201030300
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Mark Higgins

|6

020000080
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|SCO}} Graeme Hogg

|17

0002020210
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} Paul McGrath

|40

3404150534
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|DEN}} John Sivebæk

|2(1)

00000002(1)0
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Mark Dempsey

|1

000001(1)02(1)0
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Colin Gibson

|18

5400021246
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} Kevin Moran

|18(1)

030401026(1)0
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Remi Moses

|4

000000(1)04(1)0
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|DEN}} Jesper Olsen

|25(3)

113(2)2303034(5)13
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Bryan Robson

|21

7302021288
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|SCO}} Gordon Strachan

|27(1)

550103(1)036(2)5
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|NIR}} Norman Whiteside

|37

4514251518
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Peter Barnes

|12(1)

200312017(1)3
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|SCO}} Alan Brazil

|1(10)

3002(2)0306(12)3
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Peter Davenport

|11

1000000111
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Terry Gibson

|2(5)

00000002(5)0
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|WAL}} Mark Hughes

|40

173120404918
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} Frank Stapleton

|34(7)

752404147(7)10
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Nicky Wood

|0(1)

00000000(1)0

References

{{reflist}}

{{Manchester United F.C. seasons}}

{{1985–86 in English football}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1985-86 Manchester United F.C. season}}

Category:Manchester United F.C. seasons

Manchester United