In brief
In their 32nd Premier League season, Manchester United faces the possibility of finishing with its lowest point total in 2024–2025.
The majority of United’s lowest point totals came when Sir Alex Ferguson left, underscoring their fall since then.
Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils must accumulate a sizable number of points in order to stay off this list.
Manchester United’s 32nd Premier League season will take place in 2024–2025. After the team won three of its first nine games, Erik ten Hag, who guided the team to two trophies, was fired in October. Ruben Amorim quickly took his place, although the Portuguese head coach’s appointment hasn’t quite gone as planned thus far. With just the season remaining, the Red Devils sit in the bottom half and are headed for their lowest-ever Premier League point total.
A closer look at United’s lowest Premier League point totals may be found here. The club has rapidly declined since Sir Alex Ferguson left, as evidenced by the fact that nine of the ten on this list came after his departure. In 2013, the Red Devils won their final league championship.
The Premier League’s Lowest Point Totals for Manchester United
Rank
Time of year
Supervisor(s)
Position in the League
Points
GD
One
2021–2022
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick
Sixth
58
0
2.
2023–2024
Erik ten Hag
The eighth
60
-1
3.
2013–14
David Moyes, Ryan Giggs
7th
64
+21
4.
2018–19
Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
6th
66
+11
5
2015/16
Louis van Gaal
5th
66
+14
6
2019/20
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
3rd
66
+30
7
2016/17
Jose Mourinho
6th
69
+25
8
2014/15
Louis van Gaal
4th
70
+25
9
2020/21
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
2nd
74
+29
10
2003/04
Sir Alex Ferguson
3rd
75
+29
102003/04
75 points
Ferguson was in charge of just one season on this list. Despite finishing third behind Chelsea and Arsenal, who were unbeatable, the Red Devils’ campaign was hardly a disaster. After being given a penalty in the final minute, Ferguson’s team had a fantastic chance to defeat the Gunners at Old Trafford in September 2003. Arsene Wenger’s team kept their undefeated record as Ruud van Nistelrooy missed the penalty kick.
This season, United has dropped nine games, including defeats at home to Fulham, Middlesbrough, and Liverpool. United defeated Millwall 3-0 in the FA Cup final to win their 11th FA Cup, even though they lost the Premier League title to Arsenal.
92020/21
74 points
After Ferguson, United’s best season was 2020–21. They were second to Manchester City under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. After seven games, it appeared that the Red Devils’ season would not be successful as they fell to 13th place in the standings after losing at home to Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal.
After this dismal start, Solskjaer’s team went 13 games without a loss, putting them in the running for the championship halfway through the season. However, a defeat to Sheffield United and many draws in February and March ended their chances of winning the title, and they ultimately finished 12 points behind City, led by Pep Guardiola.
82014/15
70 points
In May 2014, Louis van Gaal took over as United’s manager, one month after David Moyes was fired. Following the additions of Daley Blind, Radamel Falcao, and Angel Di Maria, there was a lot of hope prior to the season. The season didn’t start well because the Red Devils lost to Swansea at home on the first day, and players like Di Maria and Falcao were underwhelming.
United was in 12th place after five games with just five points. Throughout the campaign, goalscoring was a problem, but performances and outcomes gradually improved. Van Gaal’s team qualified for the Champions League after struggling to a fourth-place finish with 70 points. But after losing in the FA Cup and League Cup, they were left without a trophy for the first time since the 2004–05 campaign.
72016/17
69 points
After van Gaal won the FA Cup at the end of the previous season, Jose Mourinho took over. After bringing in Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Portuguese manager won his first three Premier League games, igniting hopes of a title challenge. However, United only managed to win one of their following seven games, including a 4-0 loss on the road against Chelsea, Mourinho’s old employers.
After the new year, the Red Devils put more of an emphasis on cup competitions, and they defeated Southampton in the League Cup final to win it in February. Additionally, they won the UEFA Europa League, giving Mourinho a cup double in his debut campaign. Despite finishing sixth in the Premier League with 69 points, the Red Devils’ Europa League victory earned them a spot in the Champions League.
62019/20
66 points
After a strong temporary tenure, Solskjaer was named the team’s permanent manager in March 2019. His first full season in command was 2019–20, however they had just 10 points after nine games. They fell to 14th place as a result of these losses to Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Newcastle United.
Although the Norwegian manager was relieved by a steady improvement in results, they were still as low as eighth in December. United salvaged a Champions League spot with a 14-game winning streak at the close of the season, ending four points ahead of Leicester City, whom they defeated 2-0 on the last day of the season.
52015/16
66 points
In van Gaal’s second season as manager, United had a difficult season. Along with disappointing new players like Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, the team’s plodding, possession-based approach lost favour with the fans. During the holiday season, three straight losses to AFC Bournemouth, Norwich City, and Stoke City was a low point.
Under van Gaal, scoring goals was a problem, much like the season before. They only managed to score 49 goals in 38 games, which is the fewest goals in United’s Premier League history. Van Gaal was fired at the end of the season and replaced by Mourinho, even though the team won the FA Cup in May.
42018/19
66 points
Mourinho has stated that his best managerial accomplishment to date was finishing second with United the previous season. The Portuguese manager lamented the absence of summer 2018 transfer activity, particularly in the defensive. The primary additions were Digo Dalot and Fred, but the Red Devils had a rough start to the season, winning just three of their first seven games.
After poor performance and a public spat with Pogba, Mourinho was fired in December 2018. Solskjaer took his place, initially as a temporary replacement, but when the Norwegian won 70% of his first 19 games, he was given a permanent position. With 66 points, the Red Devils ultimately came in sixth place, five points behind Tottenham Hotspur for the final Champions League berth.
32013/14
64 points
When Moyes replaced Ferguson before the 2013–14 season, he had large shoes to fill. Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini were the only significant summer additions, and United got off to a rocky start, dropping three of their first six games, including losses to City and Liverpool. The former Everton manager’s standout players were Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie, although the campaign’s results were erratic.
After signing a six-year contract, Moyes was fired after just ten months because he was obviously out of his depth. In April 2014, he was succeeded as interim player-manager by Ryan Giggs, who helped the Red Devils finish eighth with 64 points. This was the team’s lowest Premier League finish at the time.
22023/24
60 points
Prior to the 2023–2024 season, United fans were quite optimistic. Under ten Hag, they had placed in the Champions League and won the League Cup the year before. This preseason optimism was quickly shown to be misguided. The Red Devils endured some shocking losses, including a 3-0 setback to Bournemouth at Old Trafford, which raised questions about the Dutch manager’s tactics.
Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, and Lisandro Martinez all experienced frequent setbacks due to injuries, which made matters worse. Despite finishing ninth with 60 points, Ten Hag’s team defeated City in the FA Cup final, which was crucial in INEOS’ summer assessment of the management position.
12021/22
58 points
