 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Dave Sexton akatsiva Docherty somutarisiri muzhizha ra1977. Pasinei nekusaina kukuru, kusanganisira Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, Gary Bailey naRay Wilkins, timu yakatadza kuwana chero mhedzisiro yakakosha; vakapedza vari pakati pevakuru vaviri muna 1979-1980 uye vakarasikirwa neArsenal mu1979 FA Cup Final. Sexton akadzingwa muna 1981, kunyange zvazvo chikwata chakakunda mitambo minomwe yokupedzisira pasi pokutungamirira kwake. Akatsiviwa naRon Atkinson, uyo akabva angoputsa rekodhi yeBritish yekubhadhara mari yekusaina Bryan Robson kubva kuWest Bromwich Albion. Pasi paAtkinson, Manchester United yakakunda FA Cup kaviri mumakore matatu - muna 1983 na 1985 - uye vakakunda vavengi vavo Liverpool kuti vakunde 1983 Charity Shield. Muna 1985-86, mushure mekukunda gumi nematatu uye maviri akaenzana mumitambo yayo yekutanga gumi neshanu, kirabhu yaive inodiwa kuhwina mukombe, asi yakapedza iri pachinzvimbo chechina. Mwaka wakatevera, nekirabhu iri munjodzi yekudzikiswa munaNovember, Atkinson akadzingwa. 