The Worst Man United Team in History? Here’s a Look at the Numbers Following Amorim’s Big Claim

Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - January 19, 2025 Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)

17:35-20 January 2025 AD ـ 21 Rajab 1446 AH

The Worst Man United Team in History? Here’s a Look at the Numbers Following Amorim’s Big Claim

It has never been this bad at Manchester United.

Well, that’s the opinion of the club’s latest manager, anyway, with Ruben Amorim saying Sunday about his underperforming team: "We are being the worst, maybe, in the history of Manchester United."

It’s quite the claim.

After all, United is a record 20-time English champion, and one of the biggest sports teams and brands in the world.

Here’s a look at some of the numbers that illustrate the slump United is in after a 3-1 loss to Brighton:

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13th Current position of United in the 20-team Premier League after 22 of 38 games. With 26 points, United is closer to the relegation zone than the European qualification places and on course for its lowest finish in the Premier League era (since 1992), which is eighth last year.

24 Number of points United is behind Premier League leader Liverpool, its great rival.

1893-94 The last time United had worse home form than this season, according to Premier League statistician Opta. The team has six losses from its first 12 league games at Old Trafford.

14 The number of years the club has spent outside England’s top division since changing its name to Manchester United from Newton Heath in 1902. In those nearly 123 years, United has never played below the second tier. The longest period out of the top flight was five straight years in the 1930s.

1974 The last time United was relegated from the first division of English soccer. The team won promotion the following season and has been in the top flight ever since.

7 The number of losses in 15 games under Amorim since he took charge in November to replace Erik ten Hag.

20 Number of times United finished in the top two in the 26 full seasons under manager Alex Ferguson (1986-2013)

2 Number of times United has finished in the top two in the 11 full seasons since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. On both occasions, United was in second place.

10th Amorim is the 10th manager — either permanent or interim — appointed by United since Ferguson’s retirement.

$6.55 billion The estimated worth of Man United, according to Forbes. That places the club in 14th place in Forbes’ list of the world’s most valuable sports teams in its most recent ranking.

Coco Gauff Loses to Paula Badosa in the Australian Open Quarterfinals

USA's Coco Gauff speaks at a press conference following her women's singles quarterfinal match against Spain's Paula Badosa on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 21, 2025. (AFP)

09:01-21 January 2025 AD ـ 22 Rajab 1446 AH

Coco Gauff Loses to Paula Badosa in the Australian Open Quarterfinals

Coco Gauff's forehand and serve abandoned her in the worst way and at the worst time at the Australian Open on Tuesday, and the No. 3-seeded American was eliminated in the quarterfinals by No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain 7-5, 6-4.

Gauff entered the match at Rod Laver Arena with a 9-0 record in 2025 and on a 13-match winning streak that dated to her title at the WTA Finals in November. Using tweaks to some key strokes to great effect in the hopes of earning a second Grand Slam title at age 20, the 2023 US Open champion had only dropped one set through four matches at Melbourne Park this year.

“She’s full of confidence. But I’m playing well, too,” Badosa said ahead of the contest. “I’m ready to face her.”

Was she ever. And Badosa now heads to her first Grand Slam semifinal at age 27.

“I'm a bit emotional,” said Badosa, who had been 0-2 in major quarterfinals. “I wanted to play my best tennis. I think I did. ... I’m super proud of the level I gave today.”

Gauff finished with 41 unforced errors, a total that included six double-faults — including on the last point of the game that put Badosa ahead 5-2 in the second set — and 28 missed forehands.

Gauff never earned so much as a single break point until after she already trailed by a set and a break in the second.

Badosa reached a career-best ranking of No. 2 in 2022, but then dealt with a serious back injury that had her contemplating ending her tennis career.

“I would never think that, a year after, I would be here,” Badosa said. “I’ve been through a lot. In the past, I was one of the best players in the world.”

She next will go up against No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion in Melbourne, or No. 27 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the runner-up at the 2021 French Open. Their quarterfinal was to be played Tuesday night.

That was scheduled to be followed by the day's most-anticipated matchup: Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic, 37, is aiming for an 11th Australian Open trophy and a record 25th Grand Slam singles title overall. Alcaraz seeks to complete a career Grand Slam at age 21 by adding a championship in Australia to the ones he already owns: two from Wimbledon plus one apiece from the US Open and French Open.

The Worst Man United Team in History? Here’s a Look at the Numbers Following Amorim’s Big Claim

The Worst Man United Team in History? Here’s a Look at the Numbers Following Amorim’s Big Claim

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Coco Gauff Loses to Paula Badosa in the Australian Open Quarterfinals

Coco Gauff Loses to Paula Badosa in the Australian Open Quarterfinals

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