Man United Drop Into Premier League Relegation Zone for First Time Since 1986

Manchester United have fallen into the Premier League relegation zone after nine or more games for the first time since November 1986, following Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win over Manchester City on Saturday.

The result was City’s third league defeat in a row, but the biggest fallout came at Old Trafford, where Michael Carrick’s side were pushed into the bottom three.

United could be bottom of the table before they even kick off on Sunday. That will happen if Sunderland beat Chelsea and Crystal Palace take at least a point against Liverpool at Selhurst Park.

In 1986, the club were 21st after 15 games. That run cost Ron Atkinson his job and opened the door for Sir Alex Ferguson. Carrick has now overseen the club’s worst start of the Premier League era.

United have not won a league game since a 5-2 home win over newly promoted Ipswich Town on 30 August. A 3-2 Champions League comeback against Roma on Tuesday eased some of the pressure on the 45-year-old, but his future remains uncertain.

Speaking on Friday, Carrick said the win in Europe had lifted spirits in the camp, but insisted nobody is getting carried away.

“Obviously it’s a positive reaction,” he said. “Again, it’s not like all of a sudden we’re getting carried away. I have seen enough from the players. I know what we’re capable of.”

He believes the quality is still there, even if recent results have not shown it.

“You know what we’re capable of as a team. We’ve proved it over time,” he added. “We’ve just not proved it enough lately, but we know it’s there. The boys have trained really well. I’m not just saying that for the sake of saying it.”

United host Unai Emery’s Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday. Anything less than a win would deepen the crisis and could put Carrick’s job at risk. 

The board must decide whether to make a change during the international break if the result goes badly.