Manchester United’s 2024-25 campaign will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, as they slumped to a dismal 15th-place finish in the Premier League, their worst in the modern era. The club’s dismal league showing means there will be no European football at Old Trafford next term, a sobering prospect for a club of United’s stature. The Red Devils had one final chance to salvage their season in the Europa League final, but a narrow 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur extinguished any hopes of a Champions League berth. With that, the club faces their first European exile since 2014-15, leaving new boss Ruben Amorim with a formidable task as he looks to steer the team out of the doldrums.
Europa League Final Fails to Save the Season
Amorim’s arrival midway through the season was supposed to spark a revival, following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal in October despite his FA Cup success the previous term. The new manager’s reign began brightly with a memorable goal from Marcus Rashford in a routine victory over Ipswich Town, but hopes of a turnaround quickly faded. United’s league campaign was riddled with dismal performances and a litany of unwanted records. Their final tally of 11 wins, nine draws and 18 defeats from 38 matches reflects a season of persistent underachievement. The Red Devils also scored a paltry 44 goals while conceding 54, which is a far cry from the standards expected at Old Trafford. Their meagre points return was the lowest in their Premier League history, laying bare the extent of their malaise.
Although the Europa League offered a glimmer of redemption, United fell short in the final, losing to a Spurs side also struggling domestically. As a result, the club faces a crucial summer transfer window where tough decisions loom large. One small consolation was a final-day 2-0 win over Aston Villa, offering supporters a rare bright spot in an otherwise bleak campaign.
A Season Far Worse Than the Previous
Manchester United’s eighth-place finish in 2023-24 was regarded as a major disappointment, yet they at least secured Europa League football by lifting the FA Cup against Manchester City. Last season, the Red Devils amassed 60 points and won 18 matches (seven more than they managed this time around) highlighting the team’s alarming decline.
Despite early exits in the EFL Cup and Champions League last season, the overall picture was still markedly better than the catastrophe of 2024-25. The league table, above all else, illustrates the trajectory of a team, and for United to plummet from eighth to 15th in the space of a year underlines just how damaging this campaign has been. Amorim has a mountain to climb to rebuild the club’s competitive edge, as United brace for a summer of change and a long road back to respectability.
What The Stats Say?
While no one will really care about the statistics, here is an overview of the Premier League campaign. Man United had 11 wins, ranking them ninth in the league, but also had 18 losses, which put them among five of the worst teams. Being this bad with just 54 goals conceded tells the story of struggles in attack, where 44 goals scored meant there were 10 teams better than the Devils. Having just 98 saves (17th in the league) shows just how easy United were to open up and the fact there were 59 big chances missed, shows Devils’ impotence in the forward line, which will be one of the key areas to improve this summer.
Such a disastrous season should never be repeated.
