Ruben Amorim bemoaned “the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United” after Sunday’s loss to Brighton.
Here, the PA news agency examines whether the statistics bear out the United manager’s case.
Ancient history
Defeat to Brighton was United’s sixth at Old Trafford this season, remarkably the most in their opening 12 home league games since the 1893-94 season.
United were relegated on that occasion after finishing bottom of the First Division, one of a handful of seasons that mean their current side is not – statistically at least – the worst in their entire history.
Even allowing for the fact they were still known as Newton Heath in those days, the 1914-15 season saw the team – by then renamed as Manchester United – finish 18th of 20 First Division teams with just 30 points from 38 games.
They won only nine games, 24 per cent of their total compared to this season’s 32 per cent rate. They averaged less than a point per game in the days of two points for a win but even converting to three, they would have clocked in at only 1.03 compared to 1.18 so far this term.
United have five top-flight relegations on their record altogether, finishing bottom in both 1921-22 and 1930-31 when they were respectively eight and 10 points adrift of safety.
They were promoted, relegated and promoted again in consecutive seasons between 1935 and 1938, with their most recent relegation coming in 1973-74 when they finished 21st of 22 teams. They again had a 24 per cent win rate and would have averaged exactly a point per game under three points for a win.
Premier League low point
United’s current 13th place would be their lowest finish since 1989-90, when they occupied that same position and averaged 1.26 points per game with a 34 per cent win rate.
Restricting the scope to the Premier League era, Amorim certainly has a point with United on 26 points from 22 games – eight fewer than at this stage of any previous season since the top flight’s rebranding.
They had 34 in 2019-20 but finished strongly to end up in third place on 66 points, leaving last season as their worst of the Premier League era. Having had 35 points from 22 games, United finished eighth with 60 before an FA Cup win earned then-manager Erik ten Hag a short-term stay of execution.
They have finished sixth on three occasions and seventh in 2013-14. Having won 13 of the first 21 Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson, this will be a 12th year without a league title since the Scottish manager’s retirement – with United, and Amorim, all too aware of how far they are from contention.
