Is Manchester United in the relegation dogfight?

Manchester United suffers a new low with a 2-0 loss to Newcastle, setting a historic record for their worst calendar year.

Manchester United slumped to another defeat at home on Monday night which took them closer to the relegation dogfight than the top seven on the EPL log. (Photo credit: @manutd)

Monday night brought more pains and misery to fans of Manchester United as their team signed off from the year with another depressing loss, which sets new odd records for the Red Devils.

The hiring of Ruben Amorim was supposed to help Manchester United to stem the tide and rise on the log as fast as they can, but they have now lost five of their last six, competing on unwanted grounds with their city rivals Manchester City.

United amassed 51 points in total in 2024; this is their worst ever tally in a calendar year in their entire history, and the 2-0 loss on Monday night to Newcastle makes it the club’s worst in a season since 1989, and beyond that, they’re now closer to the relegation zone than qualification spots for Europe.

United had the worst possible start to the game, with Newcastle dominating the opening exchanges and eventually scoring their first goal of the night within the first four minutes. The entire United Defence slept as their visitors walked their way up the pitch, and Alexander Isak headed home easily.

The same routine gave birth to the second goal as Joelinton scored against the Red Devils for the first time in his career, but it could have been worse before halftime. Isak saw his goal disallowed for offside, and shortly after, Sandro Tonali struck the woodwork.

United settled into the game but didn’t do much to earn anything as they slumped to their fourth straight loss in all competitions and their third straight loss in the league. The Red Devils travel to Anfield next to play against the runaway league leaders; the signs are not good.

"I believe the team is currently in a state of disarray, which can be somewhat disheartening for a Manchester United coach to oversee such a string of defeats," expressed Amorim. "But we have to cope with difficult moments in the life of everybody, so it's a challenging moment.

"I think people are tired of excuses in this club, and sometimes I talk about relegation because..." We have to acknowledge our position the way you see the league—everybody can beat everybody, so we have to win games and focus on surviving. I think our club needs a shock, you know? It needs a shock, and we have to understand that."