Last year, Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League, their worst league placement in Premier League history. This record broke their previous all-time low in eighth place, set the season before. Critics and fans of the club alike have expressed dismay over its trajectory during the past few years, and last season’s defeats looked like rock bottom for a club boasting the joint-most top league titles in English history. But between the summer and the beginning of the 2025-26 season, it seems that Manchester United is continuing to dig.
The 2024-25 season will linger in Manchester United supporters’ minds and hearts for years to come — for all the wrong reasons. First-year manager Ruben Amorim proved he could not buoy the club as it sank further in the table, where it remained in the bottom half and finished 15th. In the Europa League, Manchester United managed to climb to the finals after a shocking turnaround against French club Olympique Lyonnais in the semi-finals, coming back from two goals down and scoring three in added time. The club travelled to the neutral site of Bilbao, Spain, to face Tottenham in the final. Tottenham, like Manchester United, was also suffering their worst season to date, riddled with injuries that at one point rendered their entire starting 11 unavailable and accelerated their decline. Across all competitions, Tottenham had bested Manchester United in every matchup that season. This streak continued with Tottenham’s 1–0 win to earn their first trophy in 17 years, sending Amorim and Manchester United back to England with tucked tails.
The 2025-26 season is proving to be no better only four matchweeks in. Manchester United soured the beginning of their season again with a 1–0 loss against Arsenal F.C., followed by a 1–1 draw against Fulham F.C. However, the beginning of this year’s season stems from round two of the EFL Cup. Since the competition includes a straight knockout between all clubs in England’s four football leagues — the Premier League, the Championship, League One, and League Two — Premier League clubs only join in round two. Those that qualified for the Champions or Europa Leagues join in round three to make the competition fairer for lower-tier clubs. These circumstances led to a matchup between Manchester United and Grimsby Town F.C., a club currently sitting at fifth in League Two, 59 places beneath the Red Devils’ present 14th place in the Premier League.
Grimsby stunned Manchester United in the first half by scoring two opening goals. Manchester United caught up with two goals late in the second half. This sent the two teams to a penalty shootout, and with both a save and a miss by Manchester United after five shots, the shootout moved to sudden death. After the entire starting 11 took shots (including both goalkeepers), Manchester United’s brand-new striker Bryan Mbuemo stepped up for his second penalty of the evening. Instead of finding the back of the net, his shot struck the crossbar and ricocheted away, instantly sending his club out of the competition. Grimsby Town supporters immediately flooded the pitch to celebrate their small fishing town club, having bested the most decorated Premier League club in history. Manchester United solemnly returned home after one of their lowest moments in recent memory.
This past Sunday saw a 3–0 derby loss to Manchester City, which is also off to a rough start after a fall from grace last season. The future of Manchester United appears to be in a similar downward spiral. Amorim remains stubborn in his post, maintaining that his system will work against the squad’s pervasive inconsistency. Discontent with the manager has surfaced once again among club supporters, but it is hard to tell if this malcontent will fuel change. This season, Manchester United has one shot at a trophy, the FA Cup. As with Amorim’s predecessor, even if they win the cup, it may not be enough to save his job.
Tomorrow, Manchester United will host London club Chelsea F.C., and their odds look grim given Chelsea’s current run of form. Reach out to your Manchester United-supporting friends and family and check in to see how they’re doing — it’s going to be a long, arduous road ahead for the Red Devils to return to their former glory.
