MANCHESTER UNITED have endured a torrid start to their Premier League season – an all too familiar feeling post Sir Alex Ferguson.
Despite having a man advantage for three quarters of Sunday’s derby, United slumped to a 1-0 defeat against rivals Manchester City to leave them on just four points from a possible 12.
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City, meanwhile, are second in the league behind champions Arsenal on goal difference with both having picked up maximum points from the opening four matches – leaving United already way off the pace.
The Red Devils had a similar start to last season as they sat on the same amount of points after four matches under Ruben Amorim.
However, they won their fifth match 2-1 against Chelsea to avoid it being their worst ever start to a season after five matches post Ferguson.
The slow start was soon forgotten about though as despite Amorim’s sacking mid season, United recovered well to finish third.
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Should they lose away to Fulham on Sunday, Michael Carrick‘s team would achieve that unwanted record that currently belongs to Louis van Gaal.
The Dutchman started his reign at Old Trafford by picking up just five points from the first 15 available, which included an opening day defeat against Swansea at Old Trafford, and a 5-3 loss away to Leicester.
United responded well to their poor start to that season, going on a six-match winning sequence in the league twice – runs that proved pivotal to them eventually securing Champions League football.
The second worst start United have had to a season post Ferguson came under Erik ten Hag in 2023/24, featuring defeats away to Tottenham and Arsenal as well as a 3-1 loss at home to Brighton – leaving the former Ajax boss with six points from the opening five matches.
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United went on to finish a below-par eighth two years ago, but ended up winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the Europa League to put a little gloss on their season.
Seven points from their first 15 has occurred four times post Ferguson, which represents the most common start to a season for United after five games over the past 13 years.
It happened in 2013/14 under David Moyes, in 2020/21 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as well as the last two seasons under Ten Hag and Amorim.
Moyes didn’t quite see the season out in 2013/14 as United ended up finishing seventh.
The start United endured under Solskjaer in 2020/21 was particularly turbulent as it featured a 6-1 thrashing at home to Tottenham, but it ended positively as they eventually finishing second and ended the campaign unbeaten away from home.
The 2024/25 season was a different story – the worst in United’s recent memory as they finished 15th.
At the start of Solskjaer’s first full season as manager, the Norwegian picked up eight points from his first five matches in 2019/20. Just like last season, United finished that campaign in third behind Liverpool and City.
Jose Mourinho‘s men started the 2016/17 on fire by winning the first three matches, but that was followed up with a 2-1 derby defeat at Old Trafford and a 4-1 hammering away to Watford the following week.
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It didn’t end up a bad season come May 2017. Although United finished sixth, they qualified for the Champions League after winning the Europa League.
Nine points was also the tally at the start of the 2018/19 season – again under Mourinho – including a 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham. They would end up finishing sixth, with Mourinho sacked halfway through and replaced with Solskjaer.
Three wins from five was also the way United also started the 2022/23 campaign in Ten Hag’s first five matches in charge, losing the first two of them – 2-1 at home to Brighton, and a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford the week later. United finished third that season.
In 2015/16, Van Gaal picked up ten points from the first 15 available. But a winter slump derailed United’s title challenge, and they ended up missing out on Champions League football altogether – finishing fifth.
The best start United have ever had to a season post Ferguson came in 2017/18 under Mourinho and 2021/22 under Solskjaer – picking up 13 points on both occasions. But both seasons unfolded in very different ways.
In 2017/18, United stayed relatively consistent and picked up 81 points – their best points tally post Ferguson. Although they did well to finish second, the Red Devils still ended up 19 points behind Pep Guardiola‘s centurions.
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Whereas in 2021/22, Solskjaer was replaced by interim boss Ralf Rangnick in November, and the German experienced problems inside an unstable club which translated on to the pitch.
Despite bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021, United ended up way off the pace and finished sixth – 35 points behind champions City.