We never thought we'd go down, but if it happened to us it can happen to this MU

The funereal silence in the dressing room is what Sammy McIlroy remembers most. Lou Macari doesn’t think the players saw it coming. Alex Stepney admits the warning signs were there when Manchester United finished 18th the previous season.

April 27, 1974. The day United were relegated, although it was Birmingham’s win over Norwich and not, as legend has it, defeat in the Manchester derby and a backheeled winner from the inconsolable Denis Law that confirmed their fate.

Law and Bobby Charlton had left United the previous year. George Best, the last of the Holy Trinity that inspired Matt Busby’s European Cup-winning side, was gone by January as United headed for the drop.

Fifty years ago this week, they were recovering from defeat to Oldham Athletic in the Second Division. It came at the end of a December month that also saw the aristocrats of English football - and European champions six years beforehand - held to a goalless at Old Trafford by Leyton Orient, before sneaking a one-goal win away at York City.

If United being relegated was a sensation back then, it would be practically inconceivable now, even as they sit just seven points above the drop zone. However, the 20-time champions of England could be in 15th place in the Premier League by the time they arrive at Anfield on Sunday to face old rivals Liverpool.

Could it really happen again? Mail Sport talks to members of the boys of ’74 about the possibility of history repeating itself.

SAMMY McILROY (Midfielder, 1971-82)

It just shows you that no matter how big a club you are, what your history is, the players you’ve had, you can still go down if things aren’t right on the field. Anything can happen – including relegation.

I look at the situation now, where we are 14th in the league. Deep down, I don’t think United will be relegated, but we have to get it right as soon as possible.

Let’s be honest, we’re not winning games and if that happens you drop down the league and things get worse: confidence goes, supporters are on a knife edge, you go a goal behind in the first five minutes and the fans begin to think ‘here we go’. Honestly, there’s not a worse feeling in football.

I’ve been impressed with Ruben Amorim and the way he’s been open about it. I think he’s saying things like this to let the players know what may be happening here if we don’t get our act together.

It doesn’t matter what size of club you are, it’s happening to you and you’ve got to get on with it and fight.

At the moment, the United players have got to fight for their lives to get out of this situation and show 100 per cent commitment to make sure it does happen the way it happened in ‘74. There are a lot of players playing now who don’t even know what happened in ‘74.

Character plays a big part when you’re in a situation like this. You’ve got to have it in abundance. They can all play, but you need passion and commitment.

Results don’t lie, positions in the league don’t lie. You’ve got to fight for your life to try to get out of it.

I do have belief that these players will stay in this division and hopefully learn they don’t want to be in this situation again – and you certainly don’t want the scenario we had.

It was the quietest dressing room I’ve ever been in. For a club like Manchester United to lose their status in the top division was crazy. Unthinkable, but it actually happened.

No matter what anyone said to you, it was one of the worst feelings of my football career.

Once Denis scored, he walked right off the pitch, up the tunnel and no one saw him after that. We had a players’ lounge in those days where we go for a drink and a chat after the game, but I can’t remember seeing him in there at all.

That summer was horrendous. Wherever you went, if people recognised you, they gave you some abuse. You had to grin and take it.

Fans of other teams absolutely loved it that a club like United had been relegated. They were waiting for us at the bus and sniggering and laughing at us. At certain grounds we were coming off the pitch and we got spat at and had stuff thrown at us.

The opposition supporters ridiculed us because of the size of the club. They let us know what to expect now, this wasn’t the First Division anymore.

Our first game in the Second Division was away to Leyton Orient, a little ground packed to the rafters. Their supporters gave it to us really strong: this is what to expect.

When we got relegated and came back, we went from strength to strength. But Manchester United don’t want to be relegated again, not in modern-day football.

Results can change players’ confidence and mentality if you start getting some wins.

Everyone has been saying to me, ‘oh my God, the next two games are away to Liverpool and Arsenal in the FA Cup’.

Those are two games that players want to play in. Let’s go out and show what we can do. I hope the players have got that in their minds for the next couple of games.

If you give 100 per cent and things don’t go your way, you can hold your hands up and say I couldn’t have done anymore. Let’s hope the players do that.

ALEX STEPNEY (Goalkeeper, 1966-78)

At the time, you never think you’re going down. The warning signs were there because we struggled the previous season, and from that point of view it looked like it could be on the cards.

But out of the 42 games in the league, I only let in 48 goals and we lost eight games 1-0. That’s not relegation form, is it?

It was Manchester United and we’d won the European Cup in 1968, but Sir Matt Busby was right to step down because of his injuries from the plane crash and being knighted and getting the freedom of Manchester. It was too much for him.

After that, it all depends on who becomes manager. We had four in four years with Wilf McGuiness, Frank O’Farrell and then Tommy Docherty following Matt.

Tommy brought in a number of loan players and I don’t think that helped because we couldn’t get a settled team.

It was nothing to do with the upheaval with George Best, it was other upheaval with so many players coming on loan and chopping and changing that put us in that situation.

We all know what happened with Denis’ goal, a backheel out of nowhere in the six-yard box, but it doesn’t bother me. Birmingham got a result before we did and that put us down.

But United won’t be relegated this season, in my opinion, they’re too good for that.

They’ve got to improve and hopefully Ruben Amorim can sort this out by the end of the season. That’s my view and I’m sure he will. Absolutely, no problem about that.

He’s having to look at everything that he’s got in his squad. I’ve been very honest in saying, I don’t think it will be until the end of January or February that you will see the same lineup for three or four games, if there are now injuries.

Halfway through the season, United are on 22 points. If they can get two or three results, that makes a hell of a lot of a difference.

Going back to ’74, it was a different situation. Two points for a win in those days wasn’t a lot, but three points now is immense.

We play Liverpool this weekend and they are flying, but who would have thought United would beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final last season and at the Etihad last month? There are no easy games anymore.

LOU MACARI (Midfielder, 1973-84)

I think it’s fair to say we didn’t see it coming. There had been massive changes with a new manager and new players, but there wasn’t any great drama surrounding us from week to week or talk of us going down, and I think the supporters believed in us.

We didn’t lose for six games in March and April, winning four of them. It’s only when the league table shows that you’re close to that bottom three that you take note there could be a bit of trouble ahead.

But I don’t think United are going to be in another relegation battle. Give it another two months and if they are in that bottom three then I would be a bit concerned, but I think it’s any three from five clubs and I don’t think United are in that five.

I don’t think too many people at this very moment have any thoughts of that happening either.

I could be wrong. As the weeks and months go by, things could change. It could all unravel if things just don’t happen for you.

When the manager says it, you take note. ‘Let’s not overlook that possibility.’ But I’m overlooking it in the hope that it doesn’t come to that.

At this moment in time, I don’t see them getting dragged into a dogfight. There is enough in the team to stay clear of that danger zone but they have to start producing it quickly.

Liverpool at Anfield is never is easy. It’s no different this year to how it was last year or the season before. They are top of the tree and bombing along.

But we can produce a performance. Not so long ago we beat City - I don’t know who predicted that, but I certainly didn’t.