What Manchester United fans would give to have Sir Alex Ferguson back in charge!
The Red Devils are 12th in the Premier League and just two points above the relegation zone after eight games.
And it doesn’t seem to be getting any better for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who will be without star men David de Gea and Paul Pogba for Sunday’s clash against leaders Liverpool.
Harry Redknapp dubbed the current side the worst Manchester United team of the Premier League era.
And based on stats since the Premier League’s inaugural 1992/93 season, it is hard to argue with the former Tottenham manager.
Ferguson oversaw 21 Premier League seasons at Old Trafford, winning an impressive 13 league titles.
Those were the glory days for Manchester United fans, who have not won a top-flight title since the legendary manager’s departure in 2013.
And the current side’s stats compared to those under Ferguson make for grim reading for United supporters.
The 2019/20 team averages 1.1 points less per game, score 0.9 less goals per game, concede 0.1 goals more per game, 0.6 points less per home game and 1.4 points less per away game than Premier League sides under Ferguson.
After eight games, the current side is 12th compared to Ferguson’s teams’ average position of third.
Meanwhile, the current side has just nine points whereas Ferguson’s men averaged 17 points after eight games.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Premier League teams from 1992 to 2013
Average points per game: 2.2
Average goals scored per game: 2
Average goals conceded per game: 0.9
Average points per home game: 2.4
Average points per away game: 1.9
Place in the table after eighth game of the season: 3rd
Points after eight games: 17
Manchester United’s 2019/20 Premier League record
Average points per game: 1.1
Average goals scored per game: 1.1
Average goals conceded per game: 1
Average points per home game: 1.8
Average points per away game: 0.5
Place in the table after eighth game of the season: 12th
Points after eight games: 9
When asked if this was the worst United team since the Premier League’s inception, Redknapp told talkSPORT: “It’s got to be.
“Fergie never had a bad team in all his years in the Premier League. All of his teams were amazing, so yes, this current team probably is.
“Unfortunately it’s what the manager has inherited.
“Man United have a great tradition; it’s a special football club, one of the great clubs in world football, so players will come. But they haven’t recruited well.
“The players they’ve got now, they will struggle. I don’t know about making the top four, they could even fall out of the top six if they’re not careful.”
And with the statistics laid out it’s hard not to agree and you wonder just how long Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will get to turn things around.
Saturday is GameDay on talkSPORT as we bring you THREE live Premier League commentaries across our network, including Everton vs West Ham at 12:30pm, Tottenham vs Watford at 15:00pm and Crystal Palace vs Manchester City at 17:30pm
