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The last time Manchester United got off to such a dismal start to a season, the manager was swiftly dismissed and a promising young coach by the name of Alex Ferguson was brought in to take charge.
Ferguson spent 27 years in the dugout, has been retired for 13 and is set to turn 85 on New Year's Eve. That is just how long ago it was.
Saturday's 1–1 stalemate against a Tottenham Hotspur side that entered the weekend rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and was reduced to 10 men after conceding the opener with less than 20 minutes remaining means the Red Devils have collected just six points from their opening six fixtures of 2026–27.
It had previously equalled the club's joint-worst Premier League start, matching the five points from five games recorded in 2014–15. However, that Manchester United side, managed by Louis van Gaal, crucially picked up a win in their sixth outing.
Six points from six matches — an average of just one per game — now represents the club's worst start since the Premier League's inception in 1992. You have to travel all the way back to the autumn of 1986 to find anything more dire — when Ron Atkinson guided United to just four points over the same stretch.
Man Utd's League Start to 2026–27 Compared to 1986–87
2026–27 | 1986–87 |
|---|---|
Hull 2–0 Man Utd | Arsenal 1–0 Man Utd |
Ipswich 5–2 Man Utd | Man Utd 2–3 West Ham |
Everton 2–2 Man Utd | Man Utd 0–1 Charlton |
Man Utd 0–1 Man City | Leicester 1–1 Man Utd |
Fulham 1–1 Man Utd | Man Utd 5–1 Southampton |
Man Utd 1–1 Tottenham | Watford 1–0 Man Utd |
Six points | Four points |
Things deteriorated further before they improved 40 years ago. Matches seven and eight also ended in losses to Everton and Chelsea, before a draw with Nottingham Forest left United with a mere five points from nine games and sitting 21st out of 22 clubs in the table.
A brief recovery that followed kept Atkinson in his post until Nov. 4, with Ferguson arriving just two days later. He had already shaken up the established order in Scotland with Aberdeen, even guiding the Dons to European glory by defeating Real Madrid in the 1982–83 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final.
Progress was gradual at first — United initially slipped even further. But Ferguson transformed the club's culture and had almost entirely rebuilt the playing squad before the decade was out.
Michael Carrick Must Ask, Answer Serious Questions
Throughout this season's disappointing opening run, Michael Carrick has clung to the notion that fine margins have been the primary reason for the points dropped. Everton grabbed a late leveller to snatch a draw early last month, while Manchester City's derby-winning goal arguably should never have been allowed to stand. An own goal denied them victory against Fulham, and yet another stoppage-time equaliser cost them two further points against Spurs.
"That's two late goals that have hurt us a little bit this season—everything looks very different if they change. But the reality is what it is, and we need to accept it and do better," he said.
What makes it all the more baffling is that it simply doesn't add up. United posted the highest points tally in the entire Premier League during Carrick's 17-game trial run in the second half of last season, and the squad on the pitch is largely unchanged.
Yet a worrying trend is beginning to take shape. Manchester United are simply not performing. Former club captain Gary Neville described the opening 15 minutes of the second half against Fulham in the last game before the international break as the worst he had witnessed in 45 years as a supporter. By the interval against Spurs, the team had managed just 0.05 expected goals (xG) and ultimately finished the match with only 0.77.
Across those last two fixtures alone, United have failed to beat a side in the relegation zone. And Spurs have had as many managers as league victories in 2026 — three apiece.
The challenges ahead show no sign of easing. United are already facing criticism over their lack of intensity. The side ranks among the lowest in the Premier League for distance covered per game this season, and their next two opponents — Atlético Madrid in the Champions League and Leeds United — are industrious sides who will look to exploit that weakness.
The Red Devils appeared lethargic rather than reinvigorated following an international break during which several players were either not selected by their nations or pulled out through injury. Yet the fixture list now piles up relentlessly, with seven more matches to come before the next international window in four weeks, including clashes against Como, Roma, Chelsea and Aston Villa.