Man Utd crisis, Liverpool title advantage: 16 conclusions from 1963's 66-goal Boxing Day

Liverpool look like genuine title contenders. But Matt Busby is in danger at Man United. Where's that boy from George Best?

1) We are approaching a real crisis for Manchester United. The FA Cup final victory over Leicester seven months ago gives Matt Busby perhaps a bit more leeway as he continues his painstaking rebuilding of this famous club under tragic circumstances. But it's hard to see how the Red Devils are recovering from a 6-1 loss to Burnley: the Clarets' biggest victory since last March.

Rarely has a team felt so helpless on their travels. United have lost four of their last five league away games, with that hard-fought victory at Bramall Lane being the obvious outlier in a sea of ​​average to disastrous performances. Too often, they concede the first goal and therefore cannot hope to come back.

The aggregate score of their last five away league matches is 17-3. And these are comfortable defeats at the teams currently 7th (Everton), 15th (Wolves), 17th (Aston Villa) and now 8th at Burnley. They cannot hope to build a title challenge on these bases.

2) Why promising teenager George Best started against West Brom in September and hasn't even made a first-team bench since is a mystery; he'd better be on loan. United struggled to create much before the late dismissal of Pat Crerand, with Bobby Charlton's dismal form looking set to continue for another month. He has scored four goals in United's first six games, but none since away from home in the Cup Winners' Cup. Someone like Best would at least offer something different, but Busby seems reluctant to trust youngsters, even when they're incredibly highly rated.

3) A word for Burnley, who were sensational. Andy Lochhead took his league goal tally from two to six for the season in a single afternoon, while Willie Morgan opened his account with a couple in the second half.

After losing to Sheffield Wednesday five days ago, Harry Potts needed it. Burnley are now level on points with the side they overcame with such ease, below them only on goal average, even after such a mayhem. The 1960 Premier Division champions and 1962 runners-up could still have something to celebrate in 1964.

4) But something will have to be done to topple Blackburn, whose 8-2 thrashing of West Ham sent the kind of message few could ignore. A hat-trick from Andy McEvoy and Fred Pickering tore through the hosts, who equalized in the tenth minute through Johnny Byrne but were thoroughly outclassed afterwards as they suffered the heaviest league defeat at home to all their history.

Ron Greenwood's bet would have simply failed. It bears repeating that this is his first senior job after stints with various England youth teams and as an assistant to George Swindin at Arsenal. Finishing 8th in his first full season was a fine effort, but they came 12th last campaign and are currently locked in the bottom half of 16th. Maybe only a trophy – the FA Cup, say – can save him. But that backbone of Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst hardly seems conducive to tournament success.

5) There is no real threat of relegation, such is the fate of Bolton in 21st and Ipswich bottom. Sheffield Wednesday overtook the former with a 3-0 win; the latter fared a little less well, losing 10-1 against humble Fulham.

The Tractor Boys beat Burnley on matchday one but that proved to be the most false of dawns, as did the 3-2 win over West Ham on the 20th which ended a run of 21 games without a league win. Ipswich were crowned English champions 18 months ago but Alf Ramsey moved on to the national team and left Jackie Milburn to pick up the pieces until Division Two. They left. But at least Chairman John Cobbold's reaction suggests he retained his sense of humor, noting, "It could have gone either way, until the game started."

6) Not that Fulham deserve anything more than unqualified praise for such a remarkable victory. They spent Christmas Day in 16th and still reside in the bottom half, although they eventually scored more goals than they conceded: 35-34.

It was a pleasure to see Bobby Robson score his first goal of the season as Maurice Cook and Alan Mullery secured the score well beyond 'in the act' territory. Bobby Howfield only joined in November but served three at The Cottage. Joe Broadfoot did everything but score; he was worth every moment of the standing ovation.

Still, the afternoon unquestionably belonged to Graham Leggat and his three-minute hat-trick in the first half. It's hard to see this brand ever beaten; it's easy to envision many more high-flying double-digit beatings if a team not too good at declaring themselves safe can still give...