Ron Atkinson, Manchester United manager

Ron Atkinson won exactly half his games in charge of Manchester United, and that was better than most. But after five years, he hadn’t delivered the League championship and that prompted the club to look elsewhere.

Atkinson was a completely different character to his predecessor, Dave Sexton. He was easy-going and extrovert, he enjoyed conversation and could tell a good joke. In comparison with Sexton, he sparkled (literally, in fact, with his large collection of rings and bangles). Atkinson was born in Liverpool and grew up in the midlands. During his playing days he was a wing-half with Oxford United. His first management position was with Kettering Town, after which he managed Cambridge United and West Bromwich Albion. West Brom had a good season in 1980-1981, and that brought Atkinson to the notice of the Manchester United Board. He was appointed in readiness for the 1981-1982 season. Atkinson did well in each of his five seasons at Old Trafford. In the League he never finished outside the top four. In 1982-1983, he won the FA Cup and appeared in the final of the League Cup. In 1983-1984, he reached the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners Cup, a run that included a marvellous 3-0 quarter-final second-leg victory over Barcelona. In 1984-1985, he won the FA Cup again. Then, in 1985-1986, the team won its first ten League matches, but was unable to maintain the good start.

Atkinson was responsible for bringing to Manchester United one of its greatest ever players. Bryan Robson signed from West Bromwich Albion in October 1981 for a then record fee of £1.5m. Among others bought by Atkinson were Frank Stapleton, Paul McGrath, Arnold Muhren and Gordon Strachan. There were good players at the club and, on their day, they could play good football, but they lacked consistency and depended too much on Bryan Robson. When Robson was injured, the team often struggled. There was also a suspicion of cliques in the club during Atkinson’s tenure. The manager had his own inner-circle and among the players there was a drinking circle too. Meanwhile, Liverpool kept winning the championship and that was the trophy coveted most by both Board and supporters. At the end of the 1985-1986 season, Atkinson felt he had taken the club as far as he could, and offered his resignation. He was initially persuaded to stay, but a poor start to the following season made his departure inevitable. In November 1986 Ron Atkinson was replaced by Alex Ferguson, and a new era began.