'United staring into the abyss' FT: Man Utd 1-2 BrightonSimon StoneBBC Sport Chief Football News Reporter at Old TraffordOver the past five weeks, a season that has been delicately placed for weeks has now suddenly lurched downwards to the point where Manchester United are staring into the abyss. While seventh in the Premier League is not catastrophic, if results against Manchester City and Arsenal go to form, they could be firmly in the bottom half of the table by the time they entertain Fulham on 1 February, where the 1958 Group of supporters plan a mass demonstration against the ownership. The backdrop could hardly be worse for any new manager and does not offer the same immediate uplift opportunity Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enjoyed when he replaced Jose Mourinho in 2018. It also means United face a 40-game season, their lowest since before the First World War. This is hardly going to help the financial situation Sir Jim Ratcliffe has pledged to improve, but has now added to substantially twice by sacking managers he backed at the end of the previous season - and to the tune of more than £200m.

Source: BBC January 11, 2026 18:32 UTC