Manchester United are 17th after seven points from nine games, and a nine-match winless run in all competitions is their worst since 1988-89. Relegation remains unlikely for a club expected to post revenues above £700m, but the numbers and a heavy debt load explain why the question is being asked. According to Bbc.com.
Seven points from nine games puts United’s relegation fears in context
The scale of the shortfall is clear from West Ham’s experience in 2002-03, when Michael Carrick was in the squad. They finished third bottom with 42 points, still the highest total any side has been relegated with in a 38-game Premier League season. United’s seven points from nine games would not reach 30 over a full campaign.
United are 17th, matching their lowest position after at least nine games since 1989-90, largely because of other clubs’ results on Saturday. They have not been in the relegation zone after nine games or more since November 1986. Their single Premier League win this season came from behind against Ipswich at home in August.
United have gone nine games in all competitions without a win, their worst run since 1988-89, and they last had a longer run in September 1984, when it reached 10 games. After Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Chelsea, Michael Carrick said: “We’ve got to keep moving forward and winning games, simple as that.”
Recent seasons offer both reassurance and warning. United were 16th under Ruben Amorim after 37 games of 2024-25, yet 14 points clear of third-bottom Leicester. Tottenham were third bottom and two points behind West Ham with four games of last season remaining, so relegation is possible, even if unlikely for a club expected to generate more than £700m in revenue this campaign.
Aston Villa visit Old Trafford on 8 November, with trips to Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal among the seven fixtures after that. There is no word on Carrick’s future, though he was expected to take charge of Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Roma before the Chelsea loss. Lisandro Martinez is suspended for the Villa game after a red card that former World Cup final official Darren Cann called “inexplicable”.
Relegation would carry a heavy price. Finance blogger Paul Quinn, known as The Esk, calculated in May that Tottenham would lose between £197m and £235m in revenue if they went down. United, as one of the league’s highest TV income recipients, would not remotely be covered by parachute payments, and how far relegation clauses would dent their commercial income is not known.
United also have £1.15bn of debt, made up of bonds renegotiated in June at a higher interest rate, a revolving credit facility and outstanding transfer fee payments. A fan consultation is about to begin ahead of final stadium plans due in late 2027 or early 2028. Relegation still looks highly unlikely, yet the situation alone reflects how badly the team have performed.
