MANCHESTER UNITED: The Mad Ron Atkinson Years

[@WhatifFootball3417-r2f]

Penultimate day of our Manchester United week: what English club stories should we cover next?

[@rajenkasi67]

Just got introduced to your channel and a very good one at that. Thank you.

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

Nottingham Forest.The Clough/Taylor era of 1977/1980.That was the era Forest took on Liverpool and gave them so many problems and this year is the 50th anniversary of Cloughie turning up at the City ground as manager.That was Forests greatest era.1 First division title,2 League cups,2 back to back European cup wins and the European Super cup.Brilliant players such as Anderson,Shilton,Woodcock,Birtles,Lloyd,Burns,Robertson,a brilliant era.😉

[@anpj2006]

The Watneys cup!

[@DanielSutcliffe-k5s]

This is like what we are now a cup team,but the difference is the fa cup was a huge competition back than

[@anpj2006]

An 18 year old brushes away Alan Hansen and then slots it in from outside the box. What a player big Norm was!

[@martinthomas5155]

I recall Norm taking out Whelan, Barnes and McMahon at Anfield, Easter Monday 1988. What a warrior he was. Superb skilfull player too.

[@anpj2006]

@ He was one of my hero’s. Fabulous player, what would of someone of his talent bursting on to the scene at 17 be valued at today?

[@daviddavies3637]

Remember bouncing around the living room like a possessed kangaroo when his goal went in in the '85 final.

[@melvyndolby8625]

​@@martinthomas5155if he had pace, he would have been World Class

[@bigbernie7260]

​@@melvyndolby8625 Getting in with the wrong crowd and being pissed a lot of them time didn't help either.

[@tobyaughnotobi3919]

Enjoyed that. Went all over the country and Europe with United in the 80s and I wouldn't swap it for anything. We played some great football and it was back when you could just turn up to a ground and get in. Great memories, thanks.

[@davebuckley1760]

Should have won a league title and some point…..Robson injuries and Ian Rush maybe reasons why they didn’t

[@tobyaughnotobi3919]

@davebuckley1760 85-86 definitely. We were 10 points clear of Liverpool walking out of OT after our draw with them. We finished 4th in May 🙃

[@martinthomas5155]

I loved John Gidman. Giddy was a 'wing back' before they were invented. Giddy loved going forward. And Arnold Muhren was phenomenal. He could open a tin of beans with his left foot.

[@eamonnbarrett7995]

Thanks, that was excellent.

[@johnmatrix1232]

I’ve just discovered your channel… very well done video so far, can’t believe you don’t have more subs although I am sure they will come.

[@stewartburns2473]

Arthur albiston has to be the most underrated full back of all time - a terrific player

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

Agree.A brilliant and consistent defender who played under FOUR United managers (Docherty,Sexton,Atkinson & Ferguson).How many United players did that!

[@bigbernie7260]

Steve Nicol was.

[@michaelroberts7374]

Yes he was underrated....never thought about it until now

[@Lee-i6x2n]

A Leeds fan putting a like up for these videos what are you doing to me lol but seriously you have done great work with these series of videos so you deserve a thumbs up ive enjoyed these this week i guess its the Fergie era tomorow to round it up.

[@andychatt23]

You know you can't wait for it...😊

[@TheGrimReeper70]

remember it well,was there at Old Trafford for his first home game in charge. Mr Bo Jangles

[@neilrobinson02]

Loved the Atkinson era.

[@anpj2006]

That Barcelona side just happened to have the greatest player of all time in their side. The Juventus side wasn’t too bad either: Platini, Boniek, Rossi and a sprinkling of other Italian 1982 World Cup winners.

[@WhatifFootball3417-r2f]

@@anpj2006 and would win the European Cup the year after

[@CharlieWaffelsTenis]

Dino Zoff had retired but was with the team that day. I met him and Paolo Rossi at the players entrance after the game at OT and managed to get the to sign the match day programme.

[@christianargentiTalkTV]

Wow. They don’t come any bigger than those 2 as far as Italian players. Sad about Rossi.

[@christianargentiTalkTV]

Yep, his time at the Nou Camp was far from easy with injuries etc not to mention the brutal treatment he copped that ultimately spilled over into that disgusting brawl. I still think he was excellent for Barca and we know what was to come in the 5 years that followed his departure. In my opinion he’s the greatest of all time. No one comes close.

[@unclejacksbluewhitearmy]

Definitely no fan of United but enjoying your nostalgic videos.

[@WhatifFootball3417-r2f]

Don't worry: will be my last United video for a bit!

[@unclejacksbluewhitearmy]

@@WhatifFootball3417-r2f As a Blackburn Rovers fan I once bizarrely asked my mum to buy me a United school bag in about 1982 aged 8. My dad went up the wall and my support for the Red Devils I think lasted for half a day before going to Ewood that Saturday.

[@andychatt23]

​@@unclejacksbluewhitearmy You should have phoned Esther Rantzen's childline and reported the abuse😂

[@dondamon4669]

Manchester United fans don't watch documentaries on teams we aren't fans of. People are just obsessed with us!!

[@dondamon4669]

Why? Don't you want views and make your money of Manchester United like every other football channel?​@@WhatifFootball3417-r2f

[@jamesmcewan692]

Brilliant videos mate keep up the awesome work 👏

[@jonathankennedy1715]

Bobby Robson would have been fabulous

[@martinthomas5155]

On their day they were near unstoppable. That ten game run at the start og 85/86 was still some of the finest football I ever witnessed as a Stretford Ender. Even Peter Barnes had a renaissance at that time. He flew like a coke sneeze and had some great games. Robbo's injuries, Strachan's long term injury and Sparky going to Barcelona scuppered us. Ron wanted Kerry Dixon, Terry Butcher and Gary Lineker. But the board dithered and we got Peter Davenport and Terry Gibson. Dav was a nice lad and a grafter. But he was no Mark Hughes.

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

Yep,they should have won the league in 1985/86,but those injuries to Robson and Strachan after such a blistering start cost them.Also Barcelona sniffing around for Hughes didn’t help,unsettling him.That was a massive mistake to sell him,and you saw how he rewarded Fergie when he brought him back to United.

[@squire7618]

Collyer is looking good for the No7 shirt for me.

[@WhatifFootball3417-r2f]

His performances should help get Casemiro off the books this summer.

[@rk24133927]

Lot better than the last few years, some world class players, can't think of one in the tem now.

[@dondamon4669]

And didn't have the bad attitude whilst getting paid millions! But they did drink to much so they didn't care about Manchester United either if being honest

[@rk24133927]

@@dondamon4669 Everybody drank in those days. Lived in Sale in a pub where many players drank at

[@davidnesbit45]

Threw away the title in 1983-84 and again in 1985-86.

[@joekavanagh7171]

Ah yes, Big Ron, with the sunbed in his office. Another crap manager. I remember when we were linked with Lineker who was on fire with Leicester. But Atkinson didn't even move for him and instead signed the very average Stapleton on a new contract. Lineker went on to do great things with Tottenham. Atkinson later said "How was I to know he would turn out so good? And then there would have been hell to pay with the fans when he went off to Barcelona". Thankfully Fergie arrived and swept away the deadwood. The rest is history.

[@murchuan8782]

Stapleton was far from average ya numpty ya... 1980 81 he was considered the rolls Royce of English forwards...Stapleton played for the team , linekar did not... linekar won 1 fa cup and numerous individual awards, won no league medal, even die hard everton fans say linekar was never as good as gray for the team... everton won 2 league titles 85 87... lost 86 when linekar there... yet linekar top scorer...won title b4 him.and after him.... go figure...

[@ChubbyChecker182]

I was 10 years old, and not a Man United fan when Big Ron turned up at United ( i did not have team really, i quite liked the glamour clubs like Spurs and United)... He made them a very exciting team to watch, very appealing to a youngster like me, and full of great characters like Robson, Strachan, Whiteside, McGrath and Hughes... And Big Ron himself was just so much larger than life. I think they gained alot of fans during Big Rons time, they were not like boring, pragmatic, Liverpool and Everton.

[@fearghus66]

Is there a video on Jack Walker’s Blackburn coming up?

[@WhatifFootball3417-r2f]

It's certainly on the list which is growing by the day

[@dondamon4669]

I've never watched a Manchester United or England video in the 80's without Bryan Robson being injured?? Why was he classed so good if always injured? Today he would be battered by the press especially as it was because he drank to much and didn't put the club first!

[@ianmcdonald3053]

@@dondamon4669 what would you know! Daft as a brush!

[@foundationsrus6469]

Suprised at how good Atkinson's United were. Everybody today says they were crap until Fergie showed up?

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

Big Ron had terrific sides,just like Tommy Doc did in the 70s.The trouble is they were both inconsistent.United had a chance of winning the league in 1975/76 under the Doc and faded,and Big Ron had a chance in 1985/86 after winning their first 10 games,but injuries to Robson and Strachan and talk of Hughes going to Barcelona,which unsettled him(that was a terrible mistake to sell him),cost them.I’ve heard similar nonsense from people saying United were crap in the 70s & 80s,but that isn’t true.Yes the relegation in 74 was bad,but the Doc brought them back up with outstanding football.Ask United supporters how bad 1989/90 was under Fergie.The 5-1 defeat at Maine road as an example.That 1990 FA cup final replay victory against Palace kept him in a job.

[@joekavanagh7171]

They were. This video only showed the good bits. Fans have short memories.

[@colinyates7485]

Mad, Bad Ron Atkinson, he left a terrible drinking culture at the Club, thank goodness for Fergie.

[@bigbadjohn07]

Stapleton and John gidman were signed before Robbo.

[@martinthomas5155]

True. Robbo came with Remi Moses after Frank and Giddy.

[@munnybeats]

Sounds like Gary Neville narrating. Great channel, just subscribed!

[@WhatifFootball3417-r2f]

Thanks, can’t tell if the Neville things a compliment or 😂

[@jameshall6061]

Seriously? Gary Neville talks shite

[@Anthony-qy5yw]

Not as bad as the ten hag years bye 👋

[@charlesscottkelly]

Never liked him.

[@JohnJohn-zn8ib]

Good old Brian Robson, while most top players were driving hot cars, Brian was driving a 4 cylinder Datsun 120y, great player.

[@martinthomas5155]

Robbo got a silver Jaguar XJ6. Lovely motor for a top player.

[@aidanmagill6769]

Would have won a Ballon d'Or in a better team and with less bad luck with injuries ahead of international tournaments. He would dominate today's game. Imagine if they'd had heat maps back when he played. Keane was a brilliant replacement but Robbo edges him out of my all time 11. He's not the most decorated United player but he was Manchester United, in the way that players like Charlton and Foulkes were.