A Complete History Of Manchester United - 1972/73 - O'Farrell & Best leave, United Call the Doc
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What is the background and main focus of the 1972‑73 Manchester United season?
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Welcome back to a complete history of Manchester United. I'm your host, Wayne Barton, author and producer of several Manchester United books and films. Joined as always by the legendary football writer Paddy Barclay, author of several Manchester United books, several football books, in fact. Um relevantly for for this series, of course, author of the definitive biography of Sir Matt Busby, biographies of Jose Mourinho. Alex Ferguson as well in there for for your reading delight. We are taking you on this journey through Old Trafford history. If you're watching the video, please give it a like and subscribe, join in the conversation in the comment section. If you're listening back on the audio podcast, please be sure to subscribe and give us a review on the platform you're listening on.
Um so Manchester United season party seventy-two, seventy-three. kickoff. Um the preseason is in the South Coast. Um They play a couple of games down there and then they move on to Denmark and Germany. What do you feel the um feeling were I mean they finished eighth for a few seasons in a row. Yeah. Um Franco Farrell's got his feet under the table. He's got a couple of players in there, he's got the promise of more money to spend if he needs it. What do you think the ambitions would have been for Frank looking forward?
Yeah, uh onwards and upwards. Um Uh I mean it it it it wasn't to turn out that way, but uh I think By and large he he knew he had a fight on his hand, but you know, with this aging Great side of five years earlier that had won the European Cup. Um with Matt Busby Um you know, still on the scene and still casting a a shadow, however inadvertently. So I don't think Frank Oh, Faddle and Malcolm Musgrove's assistant would have been comfortable. But you know, this was Manchester United. He he'd left Leicester City. To progress to the next level. Um So yes, he would have been looking to to what would what would now be called a uh a Europa League slot, definitely.
Yeah, it'd be looking, you would have thought maybe top five, top six. Yeah, they wouldn't have been obviously I don't think anyone at Old Trafford was believing that they were ready for a title challenge. But no at the same time they were you know, they hope at uh with every blank page of a new season is that you're gonna kick on from where you were before. Yeah. Um, unfortunately. events that and they weren't helped by a a few um problems at the start of the season. The first um rumbling of discontent was a a comment from Brian Clough who said something like, No one has a chance at Old Trafford while Sir Marty's likely to appear around the corner. And again he wasn't blaming Busby for that. He was like that's a natural consequence of Busby being around.
It wasn't saying that Busby disappearing it was like While Busby's still employed, while he's still around the club. Yeah.
That that was true. I it I I think it was you know, it was a comment that has been uh vindicated by by the passing years uh Um but It it is also true that that so Matt and and Briancloff were very different people. So Matt did not like the brashness of this guy. And of course the previous season Um they had they had clashed. very publicly when um Ian Story Moore was seduced out of uh Brianclough's clutches by by some mat. So um uh and and and b and was by now at Manchester United. We've actually since we've mentioned in story more, uh it didn't help this seventy two three season. From Manchester United's point of view, nor did it help Ian Story Moore's career that he'd sustained an injury. in training at the at the cliff.
That was eventually to really um paid to what was a very, very exciting career.
Yeah. Um Not helped as well by the fact that other players were unavailable for different kinds of reasons. Dennis Law still struggling with his knee injury, but dropped by O'Farrell, as was Bobby Charlton at the start of the season. Um it began disastrously. Um United lose against Ipswich on the opening day, they lose at Liverpool and then at Everton and Merseyside double blow.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the background and main focus of the 1972‑73 Manchester United season?
0:00–7:58
2
How did Frank O'Farrell’s tenure and the club’s early‑season problems set the stage for change?
7:58–16:45
3
Why did George Best decide to leave United and how did his departure affect the team?
16:45–24:21
4
What were the key tactical and transfer moves Tommy Docherty made after taking over?
24:21–31:46
5
How did the new signings (Holton, McDougall, Macari, etc.) perform and impact United’s form?
31:46–39:57
6
Which matches and results defined United’s fight against relegation this season?
39:57–48:56
7
What do the squad statistics reveal about player contributions and injuries?
48:56–58:44
8
How did the 1972‑73 season end and what legacy did it leave for United’s future?
58:44–1:07:21
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Talking Devils - A Manchester United Podcast
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