Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup on Sunday evening in front of a hugely disappointed Old Trafford crowd.
Poor cup runs
In spite of the inconsistency of recent years, both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim managed to go far in the cups.
The Dutchman won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. Ruben Amorim made it all the way to the Europa League final but lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the final.
This year has seen United embarrassingly crash out of the Carabao Cup in August to League Two Grimsby Town on penalties, and they were also defeated at home by Brighton and Hove Albion yesterday at the first hurdle of the FA Cup.
Difficult statistics
After the match, TNT Sports highlighted some of the depressing statistics that the result brought up for
this United team and their supporters.
The sports channel reports that, “after a third-round exit in the FA Cup, it is the first time since 1981/82 that the club have been knocked out of both domestic cups at the first hurdle.”
This means United will only compete in 40 competitive matches this season, the minimum any club can.
It is also the fewest matches a United team will have played since the 1914-15 season.
What’s more, “the club is the first Premier League side to play 40 games in all competitions since Newcastle United in 2022, who finished 11th that season.”
This is in stark contrast to the 60 they played last season with the run to the Europa League final.
With no European or cup distractions for the final part of the season, United will have to put all their energy into finishing in a Champions League place, as interim manager Darren Fletcher referenced in his post-match press conference.
It now seems Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Michael Carrick will be asked to get the most out of this current group and salvage something from a desperately poor season to date.
Fewest Man United games in a season in PL era
Season Games League finish
2014/2015 44 4th
1995/1996 49 1st
2021/2022 49 6th
1992/1993 50 1st
1997/1998 52 2nd
2023/2024 52 8th
2018/2019 53 6th
1996/1997 54 1st
2011/2012 54 2nd
2012/2013 54 1st
Source: TNT Sports
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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