Manchester United have endured their worst start to the campaign since the 1992/93 season, when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge.
The Red Devils have picked up just four points from their first four league games of the 2025/26 season and have already slid down to 14th in the table.
The English giants are also coming off their worst campaign in 51 years, after finishing in 15th place in the league and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
Fingers are already being pointed at Ruben Amorim, who appears to have done more bad than good since taking over last November from Erik ten Hag.
Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City was the Portuguese head coach’s 18th defeat from 47 games in charge of United. For the record, Amorim has registered just 17 wins with the Red Devils so far.
City had a field day at the Etihad
Despite a dismal end to the last campaign, United opted to keep their trust in Amorim and even invested heavily in the squad over the summer.
However, results have failed to improve, with the Red Devils managing just one win from five games in all competitions his season. Defeat against their bitter rivals is likely to further complicate matters for Amorim.
Speaking after the game, as cited by The Manchester Evening News, Matthijs de Ligt acknowledged that City were the better team at the Etihad on Sunday.
“In the first half, I think they were the better team. But they didn’t have a lot of chances. I felt we had a lot of opportunities to create chances,” said De Ligt.
“We just couldn’t make the last ball count. In the second half, they scored the 2-0 pretty quickly. But then we went 3-0 down in a rather clumsy fashion.”
The Dutchman was asked if his team were close to gaining more confidence, and he responded: “Do you see the difference? Do you feel like we’re on the brink of that? Hopefully in the next game. We’re working hard every day, so hopefully we can get there quickly.”
“We played better in the second half, but they were definitely much better. And they have quality players up front. That makes all the difference.”
Amorim on borrowed time at Old Trafford
United have drawn heavy criticism from fans and pundits alike for their performances in recent times. When asked how they cope with the external noise, De Ligt replied: “As we’ve always done, we just have to work hard. We have to improve as a team and hopefully get better.”
Amorim remains on borrowed time at Old Trafford, although recent reports have suggested that INEOS are willing to be patient with him. The Dutchman was asked if the Portuguese can turn things around, and he said: “We have to prove it, otherwise it’s no use.”
De Ligt has been one of the rare shining lights for United this season, and his leadership qualities will be called into action as the club wades through troubled waters in the coming days.
For the record, United won the Premier League in the 1992/93 campaign.
Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
