By Frank Kamuntu
- Man Utd slumped to eighth in the final standings for the 2023/24 Premier League season
- Red Devils had never previously finished lower than seventh
- Victory over Brighton on final day ensured United bettered their lowest-ever points return
Manchester United fell to their worst-ever Premier League finish in the 2023/24 season as Erik ten Hag’s team ended the campaign in eighth.
Never before had the Red Devils finished so far down the standings, with the seventh-placed finish under David Moyes previously holding the unwanted honour of being United’s poorest campaign in the history of the division.
Ten Hag’s side may have beaten Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 on the final day, but Newcastle United ran out comfortable winners against Brentford to ensure they would finish ahead of the Manchester outfit once again.
The victory, courtesy of goals from Diogo Dalot and Rasmus Hojlund, did, however, ensure United did not record their worst-ever points return in the division’s history.
“It is not good enough by far,” Ten Hag said after the game. “Although we had less than 60 points two years ago, 58 points, eighth is the worst performance.
“It is the truth but we should have done better. We knows the reasons behind, everyone knows, but it is not the right moment to go into it. It’s not good enough.”
Having scored just twice, United end the campaign with a negative goal difference for the first time in their history.
2021/22 saw United finish with a goal difference of zero but this current iteration of the Red Devils slipped down to -1 after conceding 58 goals and scoring just 57 across the 38-game season.
United must now turn their attention to the upcoming FA Cup final against league champions Manchester City, who pipped Arsenal to the Premier League title with a comfortable 3-1 win over West Ham United on the final day of the season.
Ten Hag remains under immense pressure heading into Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first summer in charge, with many reports claiming there could be a change of manager regardless of what happens in the FA Cup final.
