A Complete History Of Manchester United - 1973/74 "Too Good To Go Down"
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What is the overall context of Manchester United’s 1973‑74 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 on this journey as I always am by the legendary football writer Paddy Barclay. We are taking you down this road of Old Trafford history, which has got a very, very bumpy stop in this episode, to say the least, the nineteen seventy-three nineteen seventy-four season. If you are watching the video, please give us a like and a subscribe to the channel as well. And 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. Paddy, i as we um take stock of Manchester United's seventy two, seventy three season.
There was a feeling Um the general feeling was the United had got away with one rather than that it was gonna get worse. Rather that was as bad and and people modern listeners might be familiar with this phrase, that was as bad as it was going to get. They could now turn the tide around.
Yes, yes. I uh yes, I think that was uh that was that was the general feeling. Um the last vestiges of the the heroes of nineteen sixty eight the of that team, last vestiges of that team were sort of almost on the point of being sort of swept out. Um And uh yes, there was a feeling that Manchester United was looking forward Uh rather than back. Um Well we'll we'll see about that, but uh I think Диспайт The results there was a different feeling at old Trafford from the minute That Tommy Doc had come through the door, really. Yeah.
Certainly at the start of the season, this idea of a new f future, um, obviously the feeling was um exemplified by the departures of Dennis Law. And Bobby Charlton um it sort of took a step backwards when George Best returned to the club. Um George Best, as we um discussed in the previous episode, had been missing since December. By all accounts, even to George Best's standards, he just decided I'm just gonna live life away from football now. So he was in no condition ready to return. In fact The moment that sparked his return was when he was found in a hospital room by Matt Busby, um, possibly the last. prominent and um visual repercussion of a Busby interference here in terms of how it um impacted the football pitch, but it was Busby who
Who decided to pull George and said, What are you doing here? Don't you think you want to give it another go? George was actually suffering from thrombosis, which it um deep vein problems that he had suffered on a flight and it got worse while he'd been out in in Spain so he'd come back to Manchester, which is where Busby had gone to see him. Um he he had obviously been indulging in a lifestyle not conducive to professional football. Um Paddy obviously this was reflective of Busby's really close relationship with George and it the matern the paternal instinct was definitely kicking in there rather than being a a genuine case of George is gonna come back and while the crowd it was putting an arm around him and saying please pull yourself together kind of thing, wasn't it?
Yes, yes. I mean br bear in mind that George was young enough to have been turned round career wise at this stage. I mean, how old would he have been at this? Twenty five, twenty six? Twenty six, yes. It's incredible. Probably not much more than that. Um and um And and his talent was so exceptional that that that that Busby was willing to go Not just the extra mile, but Basically Uh uh all the way to the moon and back, really. Um so it was
How did the departure of Dennis Law and Bobby Charlton affect United’s squad?
It was aboutward step. Um But such was the the sort of indulgence, love, call it what you will, that that m Matt extended towards George. Um Yeah. The general sort of m move away from the fr from the sixty eight team was was was allowed to be put in reverse um for that. As you rightly said, look the other two members of the of the great trio, um Bobby Charlton and And Dennis Law had already gone law to Manchester City and uh
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the overall context of Manchester United’s 1973‑74 season?
0:00–4:18
2
How did the departure of Dennis Law and Bobby Charlton affect United’s squad?
4:18–10:47
3
Why did George Best return to United and what was his condition?
10:47–21:35
4
What was the significance of Dennis Lowe’s goal and the myth around it?
21:35–34:49
5
How did United’s form change during the mid‑season run of wins?
34:49–56:59
6
Why did United ultimately get relegated despite a late surge?
56:59–57:29
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Talking Devils - A Manchester United Podcast
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