Question: The 1977–78 season was Manchester United's 76th season in the Football League, and their third consecutive season in the top division of English football, it was their first season under the management of which English football manager and player? 

Context articles: Dave Sexton
1977–78 Manchester United F.C. season
2004–05 Manchester City F.C. season
2001–02 Manchester United F.C. season
1969–70 Manchester United F.C. season
1979–80 Manchester United F.C. season
1966–67 Manchester United F.C. season
1960–61 Manchester United F.C. season
2009–10 Manchester City F.C. season
2013–14 Everton F.C. season

David James Sexton OBE (6 April 1930 – 25 November 2012) was an English football manager and player.
The 1977–78 season was Manchester United's 76th season in the Football League, and their third consecutive season in the top division of English football.
 It was their first season under the management of Dave Sexton, following the dismissal of Tommy Docherty in the close season due to revelations about his personal life.
 As FA Cup holders they contested the Charity Shield and were joint holders with league champions Liverpool, but failed to make an impact in Europe or on either of the domestic cups and finished only 10th in the league.
The 2004–05 season was Manchester City Football Club's third consecutive season playing in the Premier League, the top division of English football, and its eighth season since the Premier League was first created with Manchester City as one of the its original 22 founding member clubs.
 Overall, it was the team's 113th season playing in a division of English football, most of which have been spent in the top flight.
The 2001–02 season was Manchester United's tenth season in the Premier League and their 27th consecutive season in the top division of English football.
 The second full season of the new millennium was rather dismal for the Red Devils in comparison to the previous three years.
 The club finished in third place in the Premier League, their lowest finish in the history of the Premier League, and they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round.
 League Cup success was not expected, and the club duly obliged by playing what was effectively a reserve team against a strong Arsenal side in the third round.
 United's best success in the 2001–02 season came in the UEFA Champions League, in which they reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by Bayer Leverkusen on away goals.
 Ultimately, United's failure to win anything boiled down a dismal run of form in November and early December when they suffered five defeats in seven league games, including three defeats in a row against Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham United in December.
 They also lost six home games in the Premier League, their worst home record since the 1977–78 season.
 They only lost three more league games all season, but that terrible form earlier in the campaign counted against United for the rest of the campaign and they finished 10 points behind champions Arsenal (who sealed their crown by beating United 1–0 at Old Trafford in the penultimate game of the season) and three points behind runners-up Liverpool.
The 1969–70 season was Manchester United's 68th season in the Football League, and their 25th consecutive season in the top division of English football.
 Before the beginning of the season, on 4 June 1969, United manager Matt Busby stepped down as manager after 24 years as manager.
 McGuinness guided United to an eighth-place finish in his first season as manager, and they reached the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup.
The 1979–80 season was Manchester United's 78th season in the Football League, and their fifth consecutive season in the top division of English football.
 They finished the season second in the league, just two points behind champions Liverpool, and qualified for the 1980–81 UEFA Cup.
 It was the first season at the club for new midfielder Ray Wilkins, signed in the 1979 close season for a club record fee of £750,000.
 However, United had gained a reputation for playing generally dull football under Sexton, and by the end of his third season as manager they had still yet to win a major trophy, as Liverpool ruled supreme in the English league.
The 1966–67 season was Manchester United's 65th season in the Football League, and their 22nd consecutive season in the top division of English football.
 They finished the season as league champions for the seventh time in their history and the fifth under the management of Matt Busby, but this would be their last top division title for 26 years.
The 1960–61 season was Manchester United's 59th season in the Football League, and their 16th consecutive season in the top division of English football.
 It was also United's first season in the inaugural Football League Cup, and for the second successive season they finished seventh in the league.
The 2009–10 season is Manchester City Football Club's eighth consecutive season playing in the Premier League, the top division of English football, and its thirteenth season since the Premier League was first created with Manchester City as one of the its original 22 founding member clubs.
 Overall, it is the team's 118th season playing in a division of English football, most of which have been spent in the top flight.
 The club started the season under the management of Mark Hughes who was controversially sacked in mid-December after the team notched up seven consecutive draws in the Premier League.
 He was replaced by the Italian manager Roberto Mancini.
The 2013–14 season was Everton's 22nd season in the Premier League and 60th consecutive season in the top division of English football.
 It was also Everton's 115th season of league football and 117th season in all competitions.
 It was the first season without David Moyes as manager since 2002, with Moyes leaving Everton to succeed Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United.
 In addition, the club crest was redesigned ahead of this season for the first time since 2000.
 On 5 June 2013, Roberto Martínez was announced as the new Everton manager, having left his post at relegated FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic.
 Everton finished in sixth position in the domestic league in the previous season, missing out on qualification for the UEFA Europa League, meaning it failed to qualify for any European competitions for the fourth season running.