Manchester United’s decline reaches new low in 2024-25: It's worse than you think | OneFootball

Manchester United’s 2024-25 campaign continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. Despite a managerial change mid-season, the club’s fortunes have failed to improve, with Sunday's 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United cementing another painful chapter in their recent decline. The result at St James’ Park not only highlighted the team’s ongoing struggles but also set the stage for a potential historic low, one that will underline just how far the once-mighty Red Devils have fallen.

This latest defeat means that the maximum number of points United can now achieve this season is 56. Currently sitting in 14th place, even reaching that modest target will be a challenging feat for manager Ruben Amorim, who has inherited a squad in disarray. The loss to Newcastle marked their 14th league defeat of the season, a new low for the club and the worst Premier League record in their history.

United’s previous lowest points tally in the Premier League was 58, which came during the 2021-22 season, Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s final year in charge. After the Norwegian was dismissed on November 21, 2021, Michael Carrick briefly took over as caretaker manager, before Ralf Rangnick was appointed as interim manager through the end of the season.

The 2023-24 campaign under Erik ten Hag saw some redemption with an FA Cup victory, but the league form was far from impressive. United finished the season with just 60 points, their second-worst-ever total in the Premier League era.

However, the club retained their confidence in the Dutch manager at the start of the 2024-25 season as they extended his contract by an additional year. However, after a sharp decline in results, Ten Hag was dismissed in late October. Ruben Amorim was appointed as his successor on November 11, following a brief stint by former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as caretaker manager.

Even though United has enjoyed a promising run in the UEFA Europa League, reaching the quarter-finals where they drew 2-2 in the first leg of their knockout tie last Thursday with a second leg home tie to be played this week. However, that success has not translated into domestic form. In fact, their struggles in the Premier League and domestic cups have overshadowed their European campaign.

Much like Ten Hag last season, Amorim’s hope for some positivity remains tied to the cup competition. It is clear, however, that he has not had the luxury of a proper preseason to implement his ideas fully. Despite that, United possesses a squad strong enough to perform significantly better than their current position. The club finished 8th last season, their worst-ever Premier League finish, and it now appears that Amorim is on course to surpass that dismal achievement.