‘Fragile’ Man Utd set for fewest video games in season since 1914-15

Life strikes quick at Manchester United.

When Brighton final visited Old Trafford 11 weeks in the past, a 3rd successive win gave the impression to be a transparent signal of a nook being turned below Ruben Amorim.

Wind ahead to the current day.

The gray clouds enveloped Old Trafford and the rain fell throughout Sunday’s FA Cup third-round defeat by Brighton. It was a becoming metaphor.

Amorim is gone, United have fallen on the first hurdle in each home cup competitions for the primary time since 1981-82. They are condemned to a 40-game season, the fewest they’ve performed since 1914-15.

The world’s oldest particular person, 116-year-old Ethel Caterham, was 5 on the time, so even she in all probability would not bear in mind it.

After a two-game journey to Asia on the finish of final season to plug a monetary gap, now the mooted mid-season journey to Saudi Arabia has to turn into extra probably – as there’s a 10-day window in United’s season in February and March, given the FA Cup fourth and fifth spherical weekends are, for them, clean.

Before that, United host Manchester City subsequent Saturday with no supervisor in place to carry their “fragile” confidence.

They have one win in seven video games, a lucky triumph towards Newcastle on 26 December.

Out of 13 matches for the reason that earlier Brighton go to, they’ve loved three victories.

While their present place of seventh within the Premier League shouldn’t be catastrophic, if outcomes towards Manchester City and Arsenal go to type, they could possibly be firmly within the backside half of the desk by the point they entertain Fulham on 1 February, when the 1958 Group of supporters plan a mass demonstration towards the possession.