Frank O’Farrell is the only Irishman to ever manage Manchester United, but his tenure at Old Trafford lasted just 18 months.
It is 55-years since Frank O’Farrell was appointed Manchester United manager, replacing Sir Matt Busby, who had returned to the Old Trafford dugout for a brief second stint following Wilf McGuiness’ short period in charge between June 1969 and December 1970.
As United fans have seen in recent years, post-Sir Alex Ferguson, it’s not easy to replace great managers.
O’Farrell wasn’t the only manager who struggled to restore United to its former glories after Busby, a man who had delivered the European Cup just 10 years on from the Munich Air Disaster. The Irishman was sent his marching orders after just 18 months in charge.
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Frank O’Farrell’s rollercoaster ride at Man Utd
On June 8, 1971, United hired O’Farrell from Leicester City on a five-year contract.
Busby didn’t fully step away. Instead, he moved into an office right down the hall from O’Farrell, leaving a towering presence over the newly appointed manager.
However, United got off to a flying start under O’Farrell and were on top of the First Division at Christmas.
There was an unfortunate turning point in the New Year. George Best had issues with his personal life, and injuries were taking a toll on the team.
United lost seven games in a row, starting with a 3-2 defeat to Leeds on January 1, 1972. That saw the Red Devils finish 8th in the league.
O’Farrell’s second season started disastrously, and the team was languishing third from bottom after losing 5-0 to Crystal Palace on December 16, 1972.
United decided to sack O’Farrell after the humiliating defeat, which left the team sitting in the relegation zone.
O’Farrell was replaced by Tommy Docherty, who would ultimately oversee the club’s relegation 18 months later before guiding United back to the top flight after one season.
He passed away in March 2022.
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Who else did Frank O’Farrell manage?
O’Farrell managed three clubs before getting the United job.
That included three years at Leicester City, whom he guided to the 1969 FA Cup final, losing to Man City and suffering relegation from the First Division three weeks later.
Leicester returned to the First Division as Second Division champions in 1971, which led to his appointment at United.
O’Farrell would later manage Cardiff City, Iran and the United Arab Emirates club Al-Shaab, on top of two further spells in charge of Torquay.
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