| Season: | 1984–85 |
| League Result: | 4th |
| Cup1 Result: | Winners |
| Cup2 Result: | Third Round |
| Cup3 Result: | Quarter-finals |
| League Topscorer: | Mark Hughes (16) |
| Season Topscorer: | Mark Hughes (24) |
| Highest Attendance: | 56,638 vs Liverpool (22 September 1984) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 28,383 vs Burnley (26 September 1984) |
| Average Attendance: | 41,772 |
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| Nextseason: | 1985–86 |
The 1984–85 season was Manchester United's 83rd season in the Football League, and their 10th consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1] They defeated Everton 1–0 in the FA Cup Final to win the trophy for the sixth time, and finished fourth in the league. It was the first season at the club for new signings Gordon Strachan, Jesper Olsen and Alan Brazil, while Mark Hughes became established in the forward line alongside Frank Stapleton, with Norman Whiteside moving into central midfield to replace the departed Ray Wilkins. Hughes ended the season as United's top scorer with 24 goals (16 in the league) and was also voted PFA Young Player of the Year. Brazil, however, failed to establish himself as a regular player, with Atkinson alternating between him and Frank Stapleton as the club's second striker to play alongside the prolific Hughes.
United began the season with four successive draws, having led in three of them, and remained unbeaten in their opening 11 matches (eight in the league) before going down 3–0 at Aston Villa. Their next away trip resulted in a 5–0 thrashing at Everton, and league form was somewhat erratic throughout the season. Before Christmas, United squandered 2–0 leads in further defeats at Sunderland and Nottingham Forest, and on Boxing Day they were beaten 2–1 at bottom club Stoke City, again after taking the lead.
United entered 1985 unbeaten at Old Trafford to stay in contention at the top of the table, but lost successive home matches to Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City, before embarking on a 10-match unbeaten run which took in big wins over Villa (Hughes scoring a hat-trick) and Stoke. Defeats at Hillsborough and Luton – not to mention the exceptional form of a resurgent Everton – effectively ended United's title hopes, and a 5–1 defeat at Watford in their final fixture saw them overhauled by both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur to finish fourth.
By that stage, the players' thoughts were probably elsewhere as they prepared for an FA Cup Final showdown with champions Everton. United's path to Wembley had seen them ease past Bournemouth, Coventry, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United to set up a semi-final clash with Liverpool. United led twice but had to settle for a 2–2 draw, and a Paul McGrath own goal left them trailing at half-time in the replay before fine goals by Bryan Robson and Hughes saw them through.
An uneventful final came to life 12 minutes from time when, with the score goalless, Kevin Moran was dismissed by referee Peter Willis for a 'professional foul' on Peter Reid – the first ever sending-off in an FA Cup final. United's ten men held on to force extra time, where they found extra reserves of energy and won the trophy thanks to Whiteside's brilliant curling effort in the 110th minute.
United exited the Milk Cup at the third round stage as Everton came from behind to beat them 2–1 at Old Trafford. The UEFA Cup campaign took United to the quarter-final but defeat on penalties against Videoton of Hungary would prove to be their final European fixture for five years. They had qualified to compete in the 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup, as the Heysel disaster involving Liverpool and Juventus fans at the European Cup final 11 days later resulted in all English clubs being banned from European competitions for an indefinite period. The ban would not be lifted until 1990.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 August 1984 | Watford | H | 1–1 | Strachan (pen) | 53,668 | |
| 28 August 1984 | Southampton | A | 0–0 | 22,183 | ||
| 1 September 1984 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–1 | Hughes | 20,876 | |
| 5 September 1984 | Chelsea | H | 1–1 | Olsen | 48,398 | |
| 8 September 1984 | Newcastle United | H | 5–0 | 54,915 | ||
| 15 September 1984 | Coventry City | A | 3–0 | Whiteside 2, Robson | 18,312 | |
| 22 September 1984 | Liverpool | H | 1–1 | Strachan (pen) | 56,638 | |
| 29 September 1984 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 2–1 | Robson, Strachan (pen) | 26,292 | |
| 6 October 1984 | Aston Villa | A | 0–3 | 37,131 | ||
| 13 October 1984 | West Ham United | H | 5–1 | McQueen, Brazil, Strachan, Moses, Hughes | 47,559 | |
| 20 October 1984 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 1–0 | Hughes | 54,516 | |
| 27 October 1984 | Everton | A | 0–5 | 40,742 | ||
| 2 November 1984 | Arsenal | H | 4–2 | Robson, Strachan 2, Hughes | 32,279 | |
| 10 November 1984 | Leicester City | A | 3–2 | Brazil, Hughes, Strachan (pen) | 23,840 | |
| 17 November 1984 | Luton Town | H | 2–0 | Whiteside 2 | 41,630 | |
| 24 November 1984 | Sunderland | A | 2–3 | Robson, Hughes | 25,405 | |
| 1 December 1984 | Norwich City | H | 2–0 | Robson, Hughes | 36,635 | |
| 8 December 1984 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–3 | Strachan 2 (1 pen) | 25,902 | |
| 15 December 1984 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 3–0 | Brazil, Duxbury, Gidman | 36,134 | |
| 22 December 1984 | Ipswich Town | H | 3–0 | Gidman, Robson, Strachan (pen) | 35,168 | |
| 26 December 1984 | Stoke City | A | 1–2 | Stapleton | 20,985 | |
| 29 December 1984 | Chelsea | A | 3–1 | Hughes, Moses, Stapleton | 42,197 | |
| 1 January 1985 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–2 | Hughes | 47,625 | |
| 12 January 1985 | Coventry City | H | 0–1 | 35,992 | ||
| 2 February 1985 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–0 | Strachan 2 | 36,681 | |
| 9 February 1985 | Newcastle United | A | 1–1 | Moran | 32,555 | |
| 23 February 1985 | Arsenal | A | 1–0 | Whiteside | 48,612 | |
| 2 March 1985 | Everton | H | 1–1 | Olsen | 51,150 | |
| 12 March 1985 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 2–1 | Hughes, Whiteside | 42,908 | |
| 15 March 1985 | West Ham United | A | 2–2 | Stapleton, Robson | 16,674 | |
| 23 March 1985 | Aston Villa | H | 4–0 | Hughes 3, Whiteside | 40,941 | |
| 31 March 1985 | Liverpool | A | 1–0 | Stapleton | 34,886 | |
| 3 April 1985 | Leicester City | H | 2–1 | Robson, Stapleton | 35,950 | |
| 6 April 1985 | Stoke City | H | 5–0 | Hughes 2, Olsen 2, Whiteside | 42,940 | |
| 9 April 1985 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 0–1 | 39,380 | ||
| 21 April 1985 | Luton Town | A | 1–2 | Whiteside | 10,320 | |
| 24 April 1985 | Southampton | H | 0–0 | 31,291 | ||
| 27 April 1985 | Sunderland | H | 2–2 | Robson, Moran | 38,979 | |
| 4 May 1985 | Norwich City | A | 1–0 | Moran | 15,502 | |
| 6 May 1985 | Nottingham Forest | H | 2–0 | Gidman, Stapleton | 41,775 | |
| 11 May 1985 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 3–1 | Brazil 2, Strachan | 20,483 | |
| 13 May 1985 | Watford | A | 1–5 | Moran | 20,500 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 January 1985 | Round 3 | Bournemouth | H | 3–0 | McQueen, Stapleton, Strachan | 32,080 | |
| 26 January 1985 | Round 4 | Coventry City | H | 2–1 | Hughes, McGrath | 38,039 | |
| 15 February 1985 | Round 5 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 2–0 | Strachan, McGrath | 22,692 | |
| 9 March 1985 | Round 6 | West Ham United | H | 4–2 | Hughes, Whiteside 3 (1 pen) | 46,769 | |
| 13 April 1985 | Semi-final | Liverpool | N | 2–2 | Robson, Stapleton | 51,690 | |
| 17 April 1985 | Semi-final Replay | Liverpool | N | 2–1 | Robson, Hughes | 45,775 | |
| 18 May 1985 | Final | Everton | N | 1–0 | Whiteside | 100,000 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 September 1984 | Round 2 First leg | Burnley | H | 4–0 | Robson, Hughes 3 | 28,383 | |
| 9 October 1984 | Round 2 Second leg | Burnley | A | 3–0 | Brazil 2, Olsen | 12,690 | |
| 30 October 1984 | Round 3 | Everton | H | 1–2 | Brazil | 50,918 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 September 1984 | Round 1 First leg | Rába ETO Győr | H | 3–0 | Robson, Mühren, Hughes | 33,119 | |
| 3 October 1984 | Round 1 Second leg | Rába ETO Győr | A | 2–2 | Brazil, Mühren (pen) | 26,000 | |
| 24 October 1984 | Round 2 First leg | PSV Eindhoven | A | 0–0 | 27,500 | ||
| 7 November 1984 | Round 2 Second leg | PSV Eindhoven | H | 1–0 | Strachan (pen) | 39,281 | |
| 28 November 1984 | Round 3 First leg | Dundee United | H | 2–2 | Strachan (pen), Robson | 48,278 | |
| 12 December 1984 | Round 3 Second leg | Dundee United | A | 3–2 | Hughes, McGinnis (og), Mühren | 21,821 | |
| 6 March 1985 | Quarter-final First leg | Videoton | H | 1–0 | Stapleton | 35,432 | |
| 20 March 1985 | Quarter-final Second leg | Videoton | A | 0–1 (4–5 p) | 25,000 |
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | UEFA Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| GK | Gary Bailey | 38 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 55 | 0 | |
| GK | Stephen Pears | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| DF | Arthur Albiston | 39 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 57 | 0 | |
| DF | Mike Duxbury | 27(3) | 1 | 2(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 37(4) | 1 | |
| DF | Billy Garton | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 3(1) | 0 | |
| DF | John Gidman | 27 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6(1) | 0 | 40(1) | 3 | |
| DF | Graeme Hogg | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| DF |  Paul McGrath | 23 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| DF | Gordon McQueen | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 2 | |
| DF | Kevin Moran | 19 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 4 | |
| MF | Clayton Blackmore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| MF | Arthur Graham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| MF | Remi Moses | 26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 38 | 3 | |
| MF | Arnold Mühren | 7(5) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12(5) | 3 | |
| MF | Jesper Olsen | 36 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6(1) | 0 | 50(1) | 6 | |
| MF | Bryan Robson | 32(1) | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 45(1) | 14 | |
| MF | Gordon Strachan | 41 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 56 | 19 | |
| MF | Norman Whiteside | 23(4) | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4(1) | 0 | 34(5) | 13 | |
| FW | Alan Brazil | 17(3) | 5 | 0(1) | 0 | 2(1) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 21(5) | 9 | |
| FW | Mark Hughes | 38 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 55 | 24 | |
| FW | Frank Stapleton | 21(3) | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1(1) | 0 | 4(1) | 1 | 31(5) | 9 | |
| – | Own goals | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 1 | |
| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Fee | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1984 | FW | Alan Brazil | Tottenham Hotspur | £625k | ||
| 29 June 1984 | MF | Jesper Olsen | Ajax | £350k | ||
| 1 July 1984 | MF | Gordon Strachan | Aberdeen | £600k |
| Date | Pos. | Name | To | Fee | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1984 | MF | Ray Wilkins |  Milan | £1.5m | ||
| July 1984 | FW | Scott McGarvey | Portsmouth | £85k | ||
| July 1984 | FW | Lou Macari | Swindon Town | Free | ||
| May 1985 | GK | Jeff Wealands | Altrincham |