Archive Methodology

Manager Records

Managers are listed when the archive data records them as responsible for first-team Manchester United matches. Early secretary-managers are retained because the historical role combined administration and team management. Caretaker and interim appointments are labelled separately from permanent managers and repeated caretaker periods are shown as separate tenures when the source data separates them.

Match totals are treated as competitive first-team matches unless a source states otherwise. Win percentage is wins divided by matches managed. Tenure start and end dates follow the date recorded by the archive source; approximate early dates are displayed as approximate rather than over-precise.

Season Data

League positions and points are checked against official competition or league records where available. Secondary statistical sources are used to cross-check historical seasons. Competition outcomes are resolved toward official competition records first, then official club records, established football-statistics databases and reputable historical publications. Wikipedia is retained as supplementary evidence and discovery support, not the primary authority for season data.

Disputed or incomplete historical figures should be documented in page notes rather than silently overwritten. The source hierarchy is: Premier League official records; English Football League historical records; official Manchester United records; UEFA records; established football-statistics databases; reputable historical publications; Wikipedia as a supplementary cross-check.

Trophy Counting

Major competitive trophies are separated from other listed honours. Community Shields and shared Shields are retained as listed honours because they appear in many manager records, but they are not described as equivalent to league, FA Cup, League Cup or European trophies. Abandoned, unofficial or friendly competitions are excluded unless a page explicitly explains why they are being mentioned.

Incomplete Or Conflicting Data

When historical data is incomplete, the page should say so rather than filling gaps with guesses. Conflicting sources should be resolved toward official club, league or competition records first, then reputable contemporary reporting, then established reference databases. Wikipedia can support discovery but should not be the sole source for major claims on substantial pages.

Sources And Corrections

Important appointment, departure, trophy and season claims should carry item-level citations. External links use descriptive source titles. Corrections can be reported through the corrections process, and fact-check dates are displayed separately from update dates when available.