Rúben Amorim’s Red Devils lose again: When were Manchester United last relegated?

Manchester United suffered their third straight defeat in all competitions today, losing 2-0 at fellow strugglers Wolves - a team enjoying a ‘new-manager bounce’ under Vitor Pereira, who has overseen two Premier League wins in two since replacing Gary O’Neil.

United lose again under Amorim

Also under the stewardship of a recently appointed coach, United are feeling less positive about Rúben Amorim’s impact at Old Trafford so far. Although the Portuguese did not lose any of his first three games after taking over from Erik ten Hag in November, he has now presided over three straight defeats in all competitions - and four defeats in five in the Premier League.

United’s Boxing Day loss at Molineux, where Bruno Fernandes’ third red card of the season set up the hosts for victory courtesy of a Matheus Cunha wonder goal and a late strike by Hwang Hee-Chan, leaves the 20-time domestic champions down in 14th place in the English top flight. United are just eight points clear of the relegation zone - less than half the gap that separates them from league leaders Liverpool.

Could Manchester United be relegated from the Premier League?

As things stand, United’s average of 1.22 points per Premier League game in 2024/25 leaves the three-time European Cup winners on pace to accrue 46 points. This would be United’s lowest total since 1978/79. What’s more, that tally 45 years ago is actually significantly superior to this season’s projected haul, as it came at a time when English league games only offered two points per win, rather than the current three.

While 46 points would be a humiliatingly low tally for United, it would almost certainly be too high for relegation. Currently, no Premier League team has ever suffered the drop with 43 points or more (West Ham went down with 42 in 2002/03). However, even managing 46 will require United to turn around what, over the past five matchdays, has represented relegation form: per soccer stats specialists Transfermarkt, they have only the 18th-best record in the Premier League since week 14.

While, ultimately, it appears likelier that United will simply labor to a mid-table finish - an outcome that would, nonetheless, represent their worst ever Premier League performance - the fact remains that the club is flirting with the relegation zone like never before in the post-1992 era.

A team that has never come lower than eighth in the Premier League, United have not finished in the bottom half of the English top tier since 1990, and have been ever-present in the country’s elite league for half a century.

When were Manchester United last relegated?

Manchester United have not been relegated since they finished 21st in the old First Division in 1973/74, under the late Tommy Docherty.

According to common football folklore, the Red Devils’ relegation was confirmed by a 1-0 home defeat to neighbors Manchester City in April 1974 - a game in which Denis Law, a former United star, netted the game’s only goal with a cheeky backheel. However, Law’s strike did not actually relegate his old club: United would have gone down anyway, as relegation rivals Birmingham City guaranteed their survival by beating Norwich City.

Nevertheless, the goal brings back bitter memories for Law, a player who had scored 237 goals in a legendary, 11-year spell at Old Trafford. The Scot, who looked ashen-faced after scoring his memorable goal, and refused to celebrate, told the Daily Mail in 2012: “After 19 years of trying my hardest to score goals, here was one that I almost wished hadn’t actually gone in. I was inconsolable. I didn’t want it to happen.”

Having retained Docherty as manager despite their relegation, United returned to the First Division at the first attempt, topping the Second Division. 1974/75 remains the only season the club has spent outside the English top flight since the 1937/38 campaign.

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