MANCHESTER United’s dismal season continues as their loss to West Ham – a 13th in all competitions – marks their worst start to a season since 1930.
The Hammers’ 2-0 win at the London Stadium means United have just one win in seven games in all competitions and sit eighth in the Premier League.
Former midfielder Paul Scholes said his old side have “big problems” while manager Erik ten Hag said they are “underperforming”.
Ex-England striker Alan Shearer added on BBC Match of the Day: “It is embarrassing for Man Utd. They have scored 18 goals this season, only Sheffield United have scored fewer. Erik Ten Hag says ‘we have to stick to the plan’ but I haven’t got a clue what that plan is. There is something drastically wrong.”
Not scoring goals, not winning games, a growing list of injuries and an ongoing saga around their ownership – what is going on at Manchester United?
United’s poor run – the statistics
United have lost 13 of their past 26 matches in all competitions this season, as many defeats as they recorded in all 62 competitive games last season.
United’s tally of 20 defeats in all competitions in 2023 is their most in a calendar year since losing 20 in 1989.
It is their most defeats before Christmas since 1930 – a season in which they finished bottom of the top flight.
They have scored just 18 goals in 18 top-flight games this season, failing to score in seven of those games.
In a top-flight season, the only times they have managed fewer than 18 goals after their first 18 league games are 1973-74 (15), 1972-73 (16) and 1893-94 (15).
United have failed to score in four successive games in all competitions for the first time since November 1992 under Sir Alex Ferguson
