The 1990–91 season was Manchester United's 89th season in the Football League, and their 16th consecutive season in the top division of English football.
After winning the FA Cup the previous year to end a five-year trophy drought and claim their first major trophy under the management of Alex Ferguson, United went on to achieve more success by lifting the European Cup Winners' Cup – their first European trophy since their European Cup triumph 23 years earlier – by beating Barcelona 2–1 in Rotterdam, with Mark Hughes scoring both goals. It was the first season back in European competitions for English clubs following the lifting of the ban which had been imposed back in 1985 due to the Heysel Stadium disaster.
Hughes was voted PFA Player of the Year, while promising young winger Lee Sharpe was voted PFA Young Player of the Year. Fellow winger Ryan Giggs, aged 17 and said to be the club's finest young prospect since George Best, signed a professional contract in late November, and soon broke into the first team, making two league appearances and scoring one goal. A new arrival at the club was full-back Denis Irwin, signed from Oldham Athletic for a fee of £625,000 in the close season. Following his impressive performance in the previous season's FA Cup final replay, Les Sealey's loan move became permanent on a one-year contract, and he was the club's first choice goalkeeper for the season, but left on a free transfer at the season's end and signed for Aston Villa.
United also reached the League Cup final for the second time, but suffered a shock defeat to Sheffield Wednesday (managed by former United boss Ron Atkinson). In the league, United improved upon the previous season's 13th-place finish, but erratic form meant that they failed to mount a title challenge and finished sixth and were below neighbours Manchester City for the first time since 1978. Their defence of the FA Cup ended in the Fifth Round when they lost 2–1 to Norwich City.
Assistant manager Archie Knox resigned late in the campaign to take the same role at Rangers, and was replaced by Brian Kidd.
It was the final season at Old Trafford for veteran defender Viv Anderson, who had failed to reclaim his place in the first team and was sold to Sheffield Wednesday in January 1991. Winger Ralph Milne, who had not played a first team game for the club for nearly two years, was given a free transfer at the end of the season. Colin Gibson, who had rarely been selected since the 1988–89 season, was sold to Leicester City just before Christmas.
Goalkeeper Gary Walsh, who stood in for the injured Les Sealey in several late season games, made his first appearances for United in three years.
Lee Martin, the hero of the previous season's FA Cup final, suffered a back injury and appeared in less than half of the season's games, as Alex Ferguson chose Denis Irwin as his regular right-back and Clayton Blackmore as his regular left-back. Striker Mark Robins, another star of the cup run, had a less successful season, with fewer first team opportunities and just five goals in all competitions, despite some promising performances in the autumn.
Pre-season and friendlies DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance1 August 1990BuryA0–07,1623 August 1990Cork CityA0–08,0005 August 1990Waterford UnitedA4–0Hughes, Anderson, Robins, Sharpe4,7508 August 1990Derry CityA1–1Robins9,71011 August 1990Irish LeagueN3–0McClair, Hughes, Wallace10,03713 August 1990BohemiansA3–0Robins (2), Wallace13,87815 August 1990RangersA1–0Beardsmore31,81820 November 1990CelticH1–3Hughes41,658
FA Charity Shield
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance18 August 1990LiverpoolN1–1Blackmore 44'66,558
First Division
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendanceLeagueposition25 August 1990Coventry CityH2–0Bruce 57', Webb 70'46,7154th28 August 1990Leeds UnitedA0–029,1743rd1 September 1990SunderlandA1–2McClair 70'26,1056th4 September 1990Luton TownA1–0Robins 24'12,5764th8 September 1990Queens Park RangersH3–1McClair 3', Robins (2) 62', 81'43,4273rd16 September 1990LiverpoolA0–435,7266th22 September 1990SouthamptonH3–2McClair 20', Blackmore 61', Hughes 62'41,2883rd29 September 1990Nottingham ForestH0–146,7665th20 October 1990ArsenalH0–147,3227th27 October 1990Manchester CityA3–3Hughes 37', McClair (2) 80', 83'36,4276th3 November 1990Crystal PalaceH2–0Webb 11', Wallace 19'45,7246th10 November 1990Derby CountyA0–021,1156th17 November 1990Sheffield UnitedH2–0Bruce 65', Hughes 86'45,9036th25 November 1990ChelseaH2–3Wallace 23', Hughes 72'37,8367th1 December 1990EvertonA1–0Sharpe 64'32,4007th8 December 1990Leeds UnitedH1–1Webb 49'40,9477th15 December 1990Coventry CityA2–2Hughes 5', Wallace 89'17,1069th22 December 1990WimbledonA3–1Bruce (2) 69' (pen.), 88' (pen.), Hughes 80'9,6447th26 December 1990Norwich CityH3–0Hughes 54', McClair (2) 69', 90'39,8016th29 December 1990Aston VillaH1–1Bruce 17' (pen.)47,4856th1 January 1991Tottenham HotspurA2–1Bruce 37' (pen.), McClair 90'29,3995th12 January 1991SunderlandH3–0Hughes (2) 8', 41', McClair 15'45,3945th19 January 1991Queens Park RangersA1–1Phelan 83'18,5445th3 February 1991LiverpoolH1–1Bruce 26' (pen.)43,6905th26 February 1991Sheffield UnitedA1–2Blackmore 52' (pen.)27,5705th2 March 1991EvertonH0–245,6565th9 March 1991ChelseaA2–3Hughes 33', McClair 62'22,8186th13 March 1991SouthamptonA1–1Ince 57'15,7015th16 March 1991Nottingham ForestA1–1Blackmore 38'23,8595th23 March 1991Luton TownH4–1Bruce (2) 7', 47', Robins 70', McClair 83'41,7525th30 March 1991Norwich CityA3–0Bruce (2) 18', 74' (pen.), Ince 30'18,2825th2 April 1991WimbledonH2–1Bruce 54', McClair 88'36,6605th6 April 1991Aston VillaA1–1 Sharpe 63'33,3075th16 April 1991Derby CountyH3–1Blackmore 22', McClair 66', Robson 85'32,7764th4 May 1991Manchester CityH1–0Giggs 22'45,2866th6 May 1991ArsenalA1–3Bruce 90' (pen.)40,2296th11 May 1991Crystal PalaceA0–325,3016th20 May 1991Tottenham HotspurH1–1Ince 7'46,7916th
FA Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance7 January 1991Round 3Queens Park RangersH2–1Hughes 19', McClair 74'35,06526 January 1991Round 4Bolton WanderersH1–0Hughes 79'43,29318 February 1991Round 5Norwich CityA1–2McClair 37'23,058
League Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance26 September 1990Round 2First legHalifax TownA3–1Blackmore 25', McClair 87', Webb 88'6,84110 October 1990Round 2Second legHalifax TownH2–1Bruce 42' (pen.), Anderson 58'22,29531 October 1990Round 3LiverpoolH3–1Bruce 36' (pen.), Hughes 37', Sharpe 81'42,03328 November 1990Round 4ArsenalA6–2Blackmore 2', Hughes 44', Sharpe (3) 44', 75', 78', Wallace 81'40,84416 January 1991Round 5SouthamptonA1–1Hughes 78'21,10123 January 1991Round 5ReplaySouthamptonH3–2Hughes (3) 51', 61', 79'41,90310 February 1991Semi-finalFirst legLeeds UnitedH2–1Sharpe 67', McClair 80'34,05024 February 1991Semi-finalSecond legLeeds UnitedA1–0Sharpe 90'32,01421 April 1991FinalSheffield WednesdayN0–177,612
Cup Winners' Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance19 September 1990Round 1First legPécsi MunkásH2–0Blackmore 9', Webb 16'28,4113 October 1990Round 1Second legPécsi MunkásA1–0McClair 77'17,00023 October 1990Round 2First legWrexhamH3–0McClair 40', Bruce 42' (pen.), Pallister 59'29,4057 November 1990Round 2Second legWrexhamA2–0Robins 31', Bruce 35'13,3276 March 1991Quarter-finalsFirst legMontpellierH1–1McClair 1'41,94219 March 1991Quarter-finalsSecond legMontpellierA2–0Blackmore 45+4', Bruce 49' (pen.)18,00010 April 1991Semi-finalsFirst legLegia WarsawA3–1McClair 38', Hughes 54', Bruce 67'20,00024 April 1991Semi-finalsSecond legLegia WarsawH1–1Sharpe 28'44,26915 May 1991FinalBarcelonaN2–1Hughes (2) 67', 74'45,000
Events of the season The 1989–90 campaign had brought Alex Ferguson his first major trophy in four seasons as manager of Manchester United, as they defeated Crystal Palace after a replay to win the FA Cup for the seventh time, equalling the record held by Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. However, their league form had arguably been their worst since relegation 16 years earlier, as they finished 13th in the First Division, and the squad still needed a few changes before United could be seen as serious title challengers.
Goalkeeper Les Sealey had received a permanent contract after a successful loan spell at Old Trafford that had begun the previous December when he joined from Luton Town, and for the 1990–91 season Ferguson chose Sealey as his first choice goalkeeper. Previous first choice goalkeeper Jim Leighton remained at the club, facing competition for second choice status from the younger Gary Walsh and Mark Bosnich. Ferguson's only other major signing of the summer was Denis Irwin, the Republic of Ireland international who joined from Oldham Athletic and was capable of playing on either side of defence, providing competition for Mike Phelan on the right and Lee Martin and Clayton Blackmore on the left. The midfield line-up was similarly impressive – Paul Ince, Neil Webb, Bryan Robson and Danny Wallace – with the added bonus of Phelan also being able to play in central midfield or on the right side. 19-year-old Lee Sharpe was capable of playing on either wing, showing promise as a star of the future. In attack, Mark Hughes and Brian McClair were an established partnership but 21-year-old Mark Robins was looking like a top striker of the future and a possible threat to McClair's place in the team.
On 10 July 1990, UEFA confirmed that English clubs would be able to compete in European competitions after five years following the Heysel disaster, meaning that Manchester United would be able to compete in the European Cup Winners' Cup.
The league season began six weeks later with a 2–0 home win over Coventry City in the First Division, a week after they were joint winners of the FA Charity Shield with a 1–1 draw against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium.
On 19 September, Manchester United marked their return to European competition with a 2–0 win over Pecsi Munkas of Hungary in the first round first leg of the European Cup Winners' Cup, progressing to the next stage of the European Cup Winners' Cup two weeks later by winning the second leg 1–0. By that date, they had also progressed to the Football League Cup third round with a 5–2 aggregate win over Halifax Town in the second round.
There were ugly scenes at Old Trafford on 20 October, when all 11 Manchester United players and 10 Arsenal players were involved in a brawl in the First Division clash at Old Trafford. Arsenal won 1–0 but United were docked a league point for this, while Arsenal (who, by this stage, were the biggest threat to leaders Liverpool in the title race) were docked two points and both clubs were fined £50000.
Three days later, Manchester United defeated Wrexham 3–0 in the European Cup Winners' Cup second round first leg at Old Trafford. At the end of the month, they eliminated Liverpool from the Football League Cup in the third round with a 3–1 win at Old Trafford, condemning the First Division leaders to their first defeat in a competitive game that season.
A 5–0 aggregate win over Wrexham completed on 7 November took them into the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup.
On 27 November, Alex Ferguson offered a five-year contract to Ryan Giggs, a winger said to be the finest prospect in the British game since George Best. Giggs, who was born in Cardiff, would be eligible to sign a professional contract from his 17th birthday two days later. He obliged, and his first team debut was looking inevitable.