According to The Sun, Manchester United has earned only 4 points from their first 4 matches this season. If they lose to Fulham on Sunday, it will mark their worst start over the opening 5 matches since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure.

Despite playing three-quarters of Sunday's derby with a numerical advantage, Manchester United lost 1-0 to rivals Manchester City, collecting just 4 points from their opening 4 matches.

Manchester City, meanwhile, sits second in the league on goal difference after collecting all 12 points from their first 4 matches, level with defending champions Arsenal. Manchester United has already fallen significantly behind.

Manchester United faced a similar start last season under Amorim, also earning only 4 points from their first 4 matches.

However, Manchester United avoided their worst start over 5 matches since Ferguson's departure by beating Chelsea 2-1 in their fifth game.

Although Amorim was sacked midway through the season, Manchester United subsequently made a strong comeback, eventually finishing third, and the poor start was quickly forgotten.

If Carrick's team loses to Fulham away on Sunday, they will break this unwelcome record, which is currently held by Louis van Gaal.

The Dutch coach managed only 5 points from his first 5 games at Manchester United, including a home loss to Swansea in the opening match and a 3-5 away defeat to Leicester City.

Manchester United quickly rebounded from that poor start, achieving two runs of 6 consecutive league wins, which ultimately helped secure Champions League qualification.

The second-worst start for Manchester United since Ferguson's departure came in the 2023/24 season under Ten Hag. The team lost away to Tottenham and Arsenal, then suffered a 1-3 home defeat to Brighton, collecting just 6 points from their first 5 matches.

Two years ago, Manchester United ultimately finished 8th, though the team won the FA Cup and qualified for the Europa League, providing some consolation.

Manchester United has started with 7 points from their first 5 matches on four occasions since Ferguson's departure, the most common opening over the past 13 years.

This occurred under Moyes in 2013/14, under Solskjær in 2020/21, and under Ten Hag and Amorim in the past two seasons.

Moyes did not complete the 2013/14 season, with Manchester United ultimately finishing 7th.

Solskjær's 2020/21 start was particularly turbulent, with the team suffering a humiliating 1-6 home defeat to Tottenham, but they ultimately finished 2nd and remained unbeaten away throughout the season.

The 2024/25 season, however, has been a different story, being one of Manchester United's worst seasons in recent years, with the team eventually finishing 15th.

In Solskjær's first full season as manager in 2019/20, Manchester United earned 8 points from their first 5 matches. Like last season, they ultimately finished 3rd, behind Liverpool and Manchester City.

Mourinho's Manchester United started the 2016/17 season strongly, winning their first 3 matches, but then lost the derby 1-2 at home and suffered a humiliating 1-4 away defeat to Watford the following week.

That season ultimately proved successful. Although Manchester United finished 6th, the team won the Europa League and qualified for the Champions League.

At the start of the 2018/19 season, Manchester United earned 9 points from their first 5 matches, again under Mourinho, including a 0-3 home loss to Tottenham. The team ultimately finished 6th, and Mourinho was sacked mid-season, replaced by Solskjær.

In Ten Hag's 2022/23 season, Manchester United also recorded 3 wins and 2 losses in their first 5 matches, losing their opening two games: a 1-2 home defeat to Brighton, followed by a humiliating 0-4 loss to Brentford a week later. Manchester United ultimately finished 3rd.

In the 2015/16 season, Van Gaal earned 10 points from his first 5 matches. However, a winter slump derailed Manchester United's title hopes, and the team ultimately missed Champions League qualification, finishing 5th.

Manchester United's best opening since Ferguson's departure occurred in the 2017/18 season under Mourinho and the 2021/22 season under Solskjær, with both earning 13 points. However, the trajectories of these seasons were completely different.

In the 2017/18 season, Manchester United's overall performance was relatively consistent, earning 81 points—the highest total since Ferguson's departure. Although they ultimately finished 2nd, they trailed Guardiola's Manchester City by 19 points.

In the 2021/22 season, Solskjær was replaced by interim manager Ralf Rangnick in November. The German coach inherited a team in turmoil, with the chaos evident on the pitch.

Despite Manchester United bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford in summer 2021, the team ultimately fell far short, finishing 6th, 35 points behind champions Manchester City.

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