Why Man United really COULD be relegated – the five reasons including an alarming change under Ruben Amorim that the nightmare may become real for England’s biggest club

The very thought of Manchester United being relegated seems almost too ridiculous for words.

This is one of the most famous sports clubs in the world. The record 20-time champion of England.

But as United’s players left the field trailing at Old Trafford on Monday night, defeated and bewildered after their latest defeat to Newcastle, the threat of relegation has never felt more real in the Premier League era.

Of course it’s happened before. United left the old First Division in 1974, just six years after winning the European Cup under Sir Matt Busby.

Too Good to Go Down was the name of the 2018 documentary that charted the demise of Tommy Docherty’s team, and those words should serve as a warning that there are no guarantees about United’s safety this season either.

When asked whether his team is now in a fight for survival, new head coach Ruben Amorim did not mince his words. “I think it is a possibility and we have to be clear with our fans,” Amorim said.

“It is one of the worst moments in the history of our club and we have to accept that. We must recognize our position and focus on survival.’

United enter the new year and the second half of the season in unknown territory. On Sunday they face Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield, who are in danger of falling even further into freefall.

The nightmare scenario of relegation is starting to look very real. Mail Sport investigates why this could actually happen.

Losing streak

The facts behind United’s alarming slump speak for themselves.

Amorim has suffered five defeats in his first eight league games, the worst record of any United manager in more than a century.

The club has lost three league games in a row at Old Trafford for the first time since December 1978, and five league defeats in the same month for the first time since September 1962.

United have not been in the bottom half of the table at New Year since 1989 and are six points behind their previous lowest total at the halfway point of a Premier League season.

More optimistic fans would point out that the team were also 14th when Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag, and that the seven-point difference between United and third-from-bottom Ipswich is the same as between United and the top eight.

Others would look at the results since Amorim arrived and argue that this is a form of relegation. They already fear a repeat of the 7-0 humiliation at Anfield in March 2023.

Change of plan

The concern is that United are actually going backwards under the former Sporting Lisbon boss, largely due to his insistence on retaining the 3-4-3 formation he used in Portugal.

It means United’s players will have to adapt to a new system mid-season, with Amorim having little time to coach it into his squad on the training pitch.

When asked on Monday evening whether he would consider a change in tactics to better suit his players, the 39-year-old made it clear there is no alternative and he will stick to the plan no matter what.

“If I change all the time, it will be worse,” Amorim warned. ‘But I understand that they have a lot of problems because they have played one way for two years. You feel it, I feel it, but I have to sell my idea, I have no other idea.’

The Portuguese has also acknowledged that his job could be in jeopardy after leading just 11 games if results do not improve. Whether United can afford the compensation for his £6.5m contract if they make another managerial change is another matter. matter.

Tied for cash

United’s financial problems after spending £600 million on new players under Ten Hag mean Amorim cannot simply buy his way out of trouble in the January transfer window.

He may have to sell first to get the players who better suit his system, with a left back and striker being the priority.

“We don’t have that option in January,” he said. “It’s not like I can come here and spend a lot of money on changing the whole team.”

However, beating United’s much-deserved flops won’t be easy. Casemiro has once again been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and that would be the easiest way to take his £375,000-a-week salary off the wage bill.

The Brazilian and Christian Eriksen watched all their 32 years against a younger and more dynamic Newcastle midfield.

United face a similar problem with Marcus Rashford and Antony, who earn £315,000 and £200,000 respectively.

The best way to raise money for new signings and comply with profit and sustainability regulations would be to sell homegrown talents such as Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, who were previously considered untouchable. However, that still seems unlikely.

Otherwise, Amorim will have to hope there is enough in the pot to make a few additions this month.

Star wars

When United finished third in Ten Hag’s first season and won the Carabao Cup, it was thanks to a 30-goal strike from Rashford.

Despite being capped for four games by Amorim before returning as an unused substitute against Newcastle, the 27-year-old is still United’s joint top scorer in the Premier League with four.

If he remains at his boyhood club beyond January, Amorim must somehow get the best out of Rashford.

It’s a similar story with Garnacho, one of the shining lights of Ten Hag’s reign. The young winger from Argentina does not fit into Amorim’s system and has also come into contact with the head coach. He has played the last four games from the bench after he and Rashford were dropped for the Manchester derby.

After laying down the law, Amorim must get two of his best players back in charge to lead the fight for survival.

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Crisis of confidence

Amorim has not only inherited a squad that is not good enough and does not suit his playing style, but now also has a group of players who are desperately low on confidence after the shocking run of results.

Individuals such as goalkeeper Andre Onana and defender Lisandro Martinez, two of the stronger players under Ten Hag, looked shaky in the new system.

Kobbie Mainoo has not scored as well as many had hoped, and Rasmus Hojlund has struggled to produce the same goalscoring form in the Premier League as he has in Europe.

Then there is Joshua Zirkzee. United’s £36.5million summer signing has struggled since arriving from Bologna, and looked broken when substituted in the 33rd minute against Newcastle. The unprecedented cheers from the Old Trafford crowd when Mainoo replaced Zirkzee left the Dutchman close to tears as he walked through the tunnel before returning to the bench for the second half.

Restoring his shattered self-confidence – and that of many of his teammates – is no easy task.

“You can feel it every day,” Amorim added. “It is sometimes very difficult for them on the field to cope with all these losses, but we have to keep going, there is no other way.”