Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has warned that relegation is a genuine possibility for his old club, who sit 17th in the Premier League and are outside the bottom three only on goal difference.
Michael Carrick's side have endured a difficult start to the season, claiming just one win from their opening nine league matches. That solitary victory came against newly promoted Ipswich at Old Trafford. United suffered their third consecutive defeat at the weekend, losing to Chelsea and finishing the game with 10 men, which has increased the pressure on Carrick.
Ten Hag's warning on United's plight
Ten Hag, who was sacked by United in 2024 when the club was in 14th place, was asked about the team's relegation prospects. Speaking to ESPN NL's 'Goedemorgen Eredivisie', he said: "In the Premier League it's certainly possible, because all the teams are simply strong.
"They're all strong squads, all good managers. And if you end up on the wrong side once and you really get into that vicious circle - yes, then it can become very, very difficult."
The Dutchman lifted a domestic cup trophy in each of his two full seasons at the helm, but he concedes a drop into the Championship cannot be discounted given the club's decline.
Uncharted territory for the Red Devils
United have not been relegated since 1974, and this is unfamiliar ground for the club. They have not found themselves in the drop zone after nine matches or more since November 1986, when they managed just one point from Sir Alex Ferguson's opening two games following Ron Atkinson's sacking.
The fixture list offers little respite, with United's next Premier League clash against Aston Villa followed by a trip to Liverpool.
Carrick's response to the threat
Carrick, who secured the role permanently over the summer, addressed the relegation threat, saying: "We've got to keep moving forward and winning games, simple as that. There's no words that I'm going to explain to you now that makes it [being in relegation zone] any difference, it's not going to change it."
He insisted it was about perspective: "You can look at it like that [negatively] and you can look at how far you can move up the league quite quickly if you win football matches. So that's the way it's got to be approached, for sure."
