“You know, we’re talking about Manchester United Football Club.”
Both pundits and commentators appeared to be in a constant state of shock at the demise of a major institution. Manchester United was The Team for a generation.
Led by Sir Alex Ferguson for over two decades and inspired by the many talents Manchester boys raised, United were the gold standard to which their rivals aspired.
However, since Fergie’s retirement in 2013, nothing has been the same. Of course there were muted peaks, but the troughs far outweighed the periods of optimism. The sustained success that once typified the club has eluded them, and instead mediocrity prevails.
Here are United’s ten worst seasons in Premier League history, based on their points tally.
This is the only Ferguson-led season on this list, and it was by no means a disaster. For the title, United only had to admit defeat to one of the greatest Premier League teams of all time: Arsenal Invincible.
Perhaps the campaign would have been different if Ruud van Nistelrooy had ended the Gunners’ unbeaten run in September The Penalty before things really started.
Yet United were top of the table at the end of January before losing away to Wolves, losing Rio Ferdinand to an eight-month ban and going four games without a win before the March international break. After that, the title was long lost and three more defeats in the last six games meant the lowest Premier League points tally of the Fergie era.
A strong end to the 2019/20 season meant United went into the 2020/21 season rather optimistic about their title chances. However, a poor start to the season meant they were able to catch up almost immediately.
United suffered a humiliating 6-1 home defeat to Tottenham on matchday three and lost to a mediocre Arsenal team at Old Trafford three weeks later. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appeared to be on the brink, but the Red Devils settled.
They lost just one of their next 29 Premier League games – notably against a woeful Sheffield United side – but a series of draws before the March break allowed Man City to build a healthy lead at the top. Two defeats in the final month of the season meant Ole’s United finished with 74 points.
LOUIS VAN GAAL’S ARMY!
The esteemed Dutchman was tasked with carrying out a rebuild similar to the one he had carried out at Bayern Munich just a few years earlier. Van Gaal brought the German giants back to the top of European football while also moving the club away from the traditional values with which they had become disillusioned.
However, Van Gaal found himself in a difficult situation at Old Trafford after leading an unknown Dutch team to third place in the 2014 World Cup, and he never managed to see any significant change in his philosophy. United often looked dull and boring with the Dutchman at the helm, and high-profile signings such as Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao failed horribly.
United had an impressive defensive record and there is no doubt that Van Gaal was able to introduce a stable structure, but they did not score enough goals to challenge for the title. However, fourth place was not catastrophic. You could build on that.
Jose Mourinho’s maiden voyage in Manchester followed a similar pattern. United started the season slowly before achieving a good result over the winter.
But despite going 25 games unbeaten between October and April, the Red Devils never finished higher than fifth in the table. They appeared to be light years behind Antonio Conte’s Chelsea, who had revolutionized the division by introducing the ultimate 3-4-2-1.
One win from their last five games meant United finished outside the top four with 69 points, but they were successful in the Carabao Cup and Europa League, winning both competitions.
Solskjaer was in full control at the start of an unprecedented 2019/20 season. The campaign was halted midway due to the Covid-19 pandemic, although the break seemed to work wonders for the Red Devils.
When the Premier League returned in the summer, United, inspired by January signing Bruno Fernandes, went on a nine-game unbeaten run. By beating Leicester on the last day of the match, they made it into the top four.
Given the depths to which they sank in the first half of the season, few predicted such an impressive resurgence, especially during Project Restart. Still, their return of 66 points is one of their lowest returns.
The foundations built by Van Gaal in his first year were never stable, and United deteriorated during the Dutchman’s second season.
A five-game winning streak over the festive period proved crippling as it quickly became clear that Van Gaal’s outdated methodology would not take the club to the heights they desired.
There were problems again on the recruitment front as Memphis Depay became the latest lucrative signing for the Red Devils.
Their languid, possession-heavy style paled in comparison to the exuberance of up-and-coming Tottenham, and a 3-0 defeat at White Hart Lane in April showed two clubs going in different directions with their project managers. United have often struggled to get shots on target, scoring just 49 goals this season – the lowest goalscoring rate in Premier League history.
It had already become clear that Van Gaal would not be the man to lead United forward – even if he won the FA Cup title at Wembley.
Who knows how far United would have fallen if the club had let Mourinho’s third season play out in its entirety.
Instead, they parted ways with the three-time Premier League champions in December, finishing sixth with the Red Devils.
Solskjaer was tasked with taking on the role as interim boss and was later given the full-time role after ensuring dramatic progress. However, things would change with the permanent arrival.
United finished the 2018/19 season with two wins out of nine and a meager 66 points.
Remember, he got the job as Fergue’s hand-picked successor.
Ah, Manchester United 2013/14: the beginning of the collapse.
As Sir Alex flew off into the sunset with another championship in his back pocket, Ferguson’s parting gift after more than two decades of dominance was the appointment of his successor: “Moyeseh”.
David Moyes had done an excellent job at Everton, but it quickly became clear that this position was a step up. The Scot was simply overwhelmed and his decision to replace Fergie’s backroom staff proved fatal.
An aging United side, not adequately supported by a new hierarchy behind the scenes, performed miserably under Moyes and embarked on a miserable title defense while falling to their lowest ever Premier League finish (seventh). Moyes only lasted ten months of his six-year contract.
United had pulled off a major coup at the start of the 2021/22 season when all-time star Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the club.
When Ronaldo was back at Old Trafford, there was a feeling that something special was brewing on the red side of Manchester. The Portuguese superstar shone on his second home debut, but it didn’t take long for things to go south.
Ronaldo obviously still knew where the end of the net was, but he didn’t exactly help the collective. Ole’s Red Devils suffered five defeats in seven games in the autumn, with Solskjaer losing his job after a 4-1 away defeat to a poor Watford side.
His justifiable expulsion then triggered one of the more confusing phases in the club’s modern history. United decided against appointing a permanent manager mid-season and instead brought in one counterpressing Godfather Ralf Rangnick joins on an interim basis.
The German’s term in office began rosily, but in the end it ended in misery. So much so that Rangnick, who was not exactly afraid to address the club’s problems, did not move up to the hierarchical position
at the end of the season, as originally proposed.
Regardless of how the season ends for United, there is no denying that the 2023/24 season will go down as the worst in the club’s Premier League history.
Oddly enough, it came after a season of marked optimism. They seemed to have finally found the right manager, with Erik ten Hag enjoying a hugely promising debut campaign that earned him the Carabao Cup trophy and a place in the top four.
However, the 2022/23 season was nothing more than a false dawn for the Red Devils. No doubt there were mitigating factors for Ten Hag, particularly injuries, but the sheer tactical inadequacy of his team was astounding.
United have no defensive structure, take shots at will and are bound to concede more goals than they have ever conceded in a single Premier League season. The rise of Kobbie Mainoo and the continued development of Alejandro Garnacho have at least given the club some insight into an otherwise dismal season.