Manchester United have made their worst start to a league season in 35 years after Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa left them with just eight points from seven matches.
United will end the weekend in 14th place in the Premier League table with a goal difference of minus-three.
This slow start to the 2024-25 campaign comes after United recorded their lowest finish in Premier League history last season, when Erik ten Hag’s side ended up in eighth place.
The last time that United picked up eight points or fewer from their first seven league fixtures was in the 1989-90 season.
United had just seven points after seven games in September 1989 and they went on to finish 13th in the old First Division in what was Sir Alex Ferguson’s fourth season at Old Trafford.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag pictured following Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Aston Villa
United have taken just eight points from their first seven Premier League games this season
Despite their poor leave performance, Ferguson’s United won the FA Cup at the end of the 1989-90 season.
Ferguson went on to win 13 Premier League titles with United following the First Division’s rebrand in 1992.
The Scot led United to 38 trophies in total during his 26-year reign at Old Trafford, which came to an end in 2013.
Current United boss Ten Hag has been in charge since the summer of 2022.
As well as leading United to third in the Premier League in 2022-23 and eighth last season, Ten Hag has so far delivered two trophies.
Ten Hag’s side won the EFL Cup in 2023 and then the FA Cup in May earlier this year.
Ten Hag has now overseen United’s worst start to a league season since the 1989-90 campaign
Alex Ferguson pictured (centre) next to Mike Phelan (left) and Neil Webb (right) in 1989 – the year in which United started their First Division season with just seven points in seven games
Ten Hag was encouraged by what he saw during Sunday’s draw with Villa.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the game, he said: ‘I think the performance of United was very good. Defending and in possession we controlled the game. It was in the balance. We created chances but not loads. Also Villa didn’t create too many chances. It was balanced. We hit the crossbar, they had a shot blocked.
‘We had that resilience, the whole season. We conceded three against Tottenham [in a 3-0 defeat last weekend] because we were down to 10 and we still went for the win. But for the rest this is our fourth clean sheet. This tells you we are in a good direction. Now also we improve defending counter attacks, and we improve controlling possession. But also we have to improve in the final third.’
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