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As far as starts to a season go, Manchester United haven’t had it this bad since the 1953/54 campaign. They managed zero wins from the first eight league matches back then, and while they have at least tasted victory once in the Premier League, the signs are looking ominous.
Across all competitions, it isn’t much better for the Red Devils. Alongside the win over Ipswich in the Premier League, their only other victory came against minnows Sabah FK in the Champions League.
United are yet to win away at all this season, which doesn’t make for great reading given this weekend’s assignment is on the road. The 20-time English champions travel to Chelsea in the early Saturday kick-off and if results don’t go their way, United could find themselves in the relegation zone come the end of the weekend.
The Red Devils' most recent relegation came in the 1973-74 season, but what is the chance they’ll go down again this time around? They’re currently just one point above the drop zone and are currently on course for around 33 points this season, if their rate of one win every eight matches continued.
That would’ve relegated United last season, but would’ve been enough for them to stay up in the two campaigns before that. However, those seasons were outliers in the usual points tally that keeps a team in the division, with clubs typically relegated if they post fewer than 35 points.
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Irrespective of what happens this season, former United star Wayne Rooney believes the club is in a dire place. Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, Rooney said: "What's not fair is the performances they're giving. I looked at the fans, you could see the pain and anger in their faces when them players are walking around the football pitch.
"You see [Lisandro] Martinez when Rayan ran round him, they're not getting to the ball, it's so frustrating. I could score a goal, had ability or whatever, I f***ing ran and put myself about as a team. These players are not doing that.
"I'd love to go in that dressing room, walk in that dressing room and say, 'What the f*** are you all doing? What type of performances do you think this is? Do you think you deserve to wear the shirt?' Put a f***ing firework up their a**** because they're not doing anything.
"We're seeing players who are numb, look like they've got no emotion, look like they don't care. Some of them might care, some good lads who are getting dragged down. It's so frustrating to watch."
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