<P> In 1985, Manchester United beat that season's league champions Everton to win another FA Cup, but not without some drama as Kevin Moran became the first player, albeit controversially, to ever be sent off in an FA Cup final . Down to ten men, Norman Whiteside scored the only goal of the match in extra time to win the cup . The victory would have given United entry to the 1985--86 European Cup Winners' Cup, but Liverpool's involvement in the Heysel Stadium disaster resulted in a five - year ban from European football for English clubs . United finished fourth in the league that season . </P> <P> The 1985--86 season started spectacularly for United, who won all of their first ten league matches (a club record start to a season) and were ten points clear at the top of the table as early as October . They were unbeaten from their first 15 matches and it seemed that nothing would stop United from winning their first league title since 1967 . However, their form slumped dramatically in the new year, with an injury to Bryan Robson meaning he missed much of the season, and they could only finish in fourth place . The club had decided to sell Mark Hughes against his wishes, and he developed a drinking problem which seriously affected his form before signing for Barcelona in the close season for around £ 2 million . The mid-season arrival of new strikers Terry Gibson and Peter Davenport did little to halt United's decline . They had finished 12 points behind champions Liverpool and were also ten points adrift of runners - up Everton, whose top scorer Gary Lineker linked up with Hughes at Barcelona that summer, and eighth points behind a West Ham United side who had emerged as surprise title contenders thanks largely to 26 goals that season from Scottish striker Frank McAvennie . </P> <P> Over the 1986 close season, rumours began to circulate that Ron Atkinson would be sacked as Manchester United manager . There was talk that Alex Ferguson, manager of Scottish side Aberdeen, would replace Atkinson . Another name to be linked with the job was Terry Venables, the Barcelona manager who had rejected an offer to manage Arsenal that spring, but the 1986--87 season began with Atkinson still manager . </P> <P> The following season began poorly with three successive defeats, including a 1--0 home defeat by newly promoted Charlton Athletic, who had last played top division football in the 1950s . Their first win came at the fifth attempt when they beat Southampton 5--1 at home, but the next few weeks saw them lose to Everton and more worryingly drop points against the likes of Watford and Coventry City, as well as missing two penalties at home to Chelsea which enabled the West Londoners to grab all three points . The final straw came on 4 November 1986, when United lost 4--1 at Southampton in a League Cup third round replay . On the morning of 6 November 1986, the club's board announced that Atkinson had been sacked as manager, and later that day, Alex Ferguson was named as his successor . </P>

Who was manager of man utd when they were relegated