Young's first full season was not a successful one for Manchester City; the team struggled to find form throughout. A four match unbeaten run in April, in which Young scored a winning goal against Bolton Wanderers, gave hope, but on the final day of the season Manchester City were relegated to the Second Division. For the following two seasons Young continued to be a regular first team player, though he missed the first two months of the 1964–65 season. Manchester City did not come close to promotion, and their 11th-place finish in 1965 was at that point the lowest in the club's history. Manager George Poyser departed in April 1965, and in July 1965 his replacement, Joe Mercer, joined the club, along with coach Malcolm Allison.