Man United suffer joint-worst Premier League start as fan unrest grows

Manchester United’s 1-0 derby defeat to 10-man Manchester City has deepened the crisis around the club, with supporters protesting against the ownership as the team recorded their joint-worst Premier League start since 1992.

United have collected just four points from their opening four matches, matching their record from the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

The result came on a difficult day at Old Trafford, where supporters protested against Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family before and during the derby.

Fans turn up pressure on Ratcliffe

Large numbers of supporters gathered outside the stadium before kick-off, with flares being set off as members of the 1958 Group marched through the Munich tunnel.

Inside Old Trafford, The Red Army group chose not to display its usual banners and instead placed a single message above the players’ tunnel: “The way you treat us is a disgrace.”

The protests are partly linked to United’s investigation into ticket touting, which resulted in hundreds of supporter accounts being banned, sanctioned or warned.

The club said last week that 685 accounts had been banned, while another 464 had been sanctioned or warned. United also said 468 cases were resolved without further action after supporters provided information explaining the activity identified.

Fan groups have criticised the handling of the investigation and accused the club of failing to properly listen to match-going supporters.

United fall further behind

The growing unrest comes against the backdrop of United’s financial problems. The club reported overall debt of £1.3bn in its most recent accounts, including outstanding transfer fees, while new financial details are due to be published on 23 September.

Ratcliffe’s involvement was expected to help put United on a path towards recovery, but the club’s sporting progress has so far failed to match those ambitions.

Chief executive Omar Berrada outlined a target of winning the Premier League title in 2028. Yet United have now started successive seasons with only four points from their first four league matches.

Their latest defeat was particularly painful because City played with 10 men for more than 70 minutes following Phil Foden’s red card.

United also had Erling Haaland’s controversial winner to contend with, with Pro Ref later admitting that VAR made an “error of judgement” in awarding the goal.

Manager Michael Carrick acknowledged the disappointment surrounding the club.

“We haven’t got as many points as we would have liked at this point, for sure,” he said. “There’s no getting away from that.”