Man Utd off to worst start in 50 years

By Hoang An   October 7, 2024 | 12:01 am PT
Man Utd off to worst start in 50 years
Striker Joshua Zirkzee (L) during Man Utd's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa at Villa Park in the Premier League on Oct. 6, 2024. Photo by AFP
Five goals in seven games is Manchester United's worst start since the 1973-74 Premier League season, the last time that they were relegated.

Man Utd were the first team to fail to score against Aston Villa this season when the two sides settled for a 0-0 draw on Sunday in the Premier League. In the 86th minute, United fans chanted: "Attack, attack, attack", but when the team gained possession, coach Erik ten Hag waved his arms and rushed his players to pull back to avoid conceding.

The last time Man Utd scored fewer than five goals in seven games was in the 1972-73 season when they finished at 18th. After seven games, they drew four, lost three, scored just four goals and conceded nine. The following season, they scored six goals in seven games, finished 21st and were relegated.

After the first seven games this season, United have won two, drawn two, lost three, scored five goals and conceded eight. In the last three Premier League games, the Red Devils have not scored any goals. The team's goal tally is now the worst in the past 52 years and is only four goals ahead of bottom team Southampton. Three of their five goals were also scored against Southampton.

United's results after seven rounds are also the worst since the 1989-1990 season when the team under Sir Alex Ferguson only got seven points after the first seven games and finished the season in 13th place. Ten Hag's team are currently 14th with 8 points, closer to the relegation zone than a Champions League spot. Other big clubs such as Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal and Tottenham are all in the top 7.

Ferguson was able to maintain at the club after the 1989-1990 season with the FA Cup title. The following season, United finished sixth, followed by a 10-season run in the top 2. However, Ten Hag's future is not guaranteed despite the draw with Villa.

Ten Hag's record after seven rounds also gradually worsened over the three seasons, with 12, 9 and 8 points respectively. The number of wins and goals scored also decreased steadily and only the number of goals conceded increased.

A rare positive spark of United this season is the defense as they have only conceded eight goals so far, equal to Man City and Chelsea. This could be an important factor in helping Ten Hag remain at the club.

United players also had to blame themselves when they were all in poor form. After the final whistle, Sky Sports chose 36-year-old center-back Jonny Evans as the player of the match. Former Man Utd striker Dimitar Berbatov commented: "Evans was much better than his teammates in this match and they should feel ashamed of that."

 
 
go to top