Manchester United were hammered 4-0 against Brighton on Saturday, ensuring that the 2021/22 Premier League season will be their worst ever.
Brighton took a merited half-time lead thanks to Moises Caicedo’s maiden EPL goal before the floodgates opened in the second half.
After the break, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross, and Leandro Trossard all scored to condemn United to their 11th league defeat of the season.
United’s previous lowest Premier League season was in 2013/14, when they finished with 64 points after losing 12 games, drawing seven, and winning 19.
United can only finish with a maximum of 61 points with one game remaining this season, a final-day trip to Crystal Palace, having won only 16 of their first 37 games.
United have conceded more goals than ever before, despite having their worst EPL season in terms of points won.
In the post-Ferguson era, United has finished second twice, once under Jose Mourinho in 2017-18 and again under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season.
The Red Devils have been the most successful team in England’s top-flight since it was renamed in 1992, but they have slipped into mediocrity since Ferguson’s retirement nine years ago.
The Scot guided United to the Premier League title in its inaugural season and went on to win the trophy 11 more times before retiring in 2012-13.
Despite massive transfer spending, no manager since Fergie has been able to match his success, and their performances have hit a bottom this season.
When Solskjaer, United’s fourth permanent manager since Ferguson, was fired in November, the team was seventh in the table with 17 points after 12 games.
And things haven’t exactly improved since then, with interim manager Ralf Rangnick struggling to impose his will on a recalcitrant squad and failing to turn around the bad form of important players like Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Rangnick has one bright spot before handing over to Erik ten Hag this summer: United are unlikely to repeat their seventh-place position from the previous season, with West Ham six points behind.
If United loses their final game against Crystal Palace, they might finish as low as seventh if West Ham and Wolves win their next three games.
Manchester United season finishes since 1992:
- 1992-93: 1st, 84 points*
- 1993-94: 1st, 92 points*
- 1994-95: 2nd, 88 points*
- 1995-96: 1st, 82 points
- 1996-97: 1st, 75 points
- 1997-98: 2nd, 77 points
- 1998-99: 1st, 79 points
- 1999-00: 1st, 91 points
- 2000-01: 1st, 80 points
- 2001-02: 3rd, 77 points
- 2002-03: 1st, 83 points
- 2003-04: 3rd, 75 points
- 2004-05: 3rd, 77 points
- 2005-06: 2nd, 83 points
- 2006-07: 1st, 89 points
- 2007-08: 1st, 87 points
- 2008-09: 1st, 90 points
- 2009-10: 2nd, 85 points
- 2010-11: 1st, 80 points
- 2011-12: 2nd, 89 points
- 2012-13: 1st, 89 points
- 2013-14: 7th, 64 points
- 2014-15: 4th, 70 points
- 2015-16: 5th, 66 points
- 2016-17: 6th, 69 points
- 2017-18: 2nd, 81 points
- 2018-19: 6th, 66 points
- 2019-20: 6th, 66 points
- 2020-21: 2nd, 74 points
- 2021-22: Best possible finish 6th, 61 points
