Manchester United and relegation is the kind of thing that's been joked about over the years when they've lost a few games on the bounce. Now their manager is having genuinely to discuss it. The Red Devils were beaten 2-0 by Newcastle on Monday night, with their first half an hour about as bad a showing as you'll see in the Premier League.
. The Magpies were dominant as they ripped the hosts apart with Ruben Amorim having to watch his side be outclassed yet again. It was their third loss on the bounce and their fifth in December alone.
Defeat means United are now just seven points above the bottom three. Since Amorim's first game in charge on November 24 only Southampton have lost more games in all competitions than United. The ex-Sporting Lisbon boss spoke candidly after their latest reverse and was, incredibly, quizzed on the chance of playing in the Championship next season.
He said: "I think that it is a possibility. We have to be clear with our fans." United retain ambitions of eventually returning to the top of English football - heights they haven't scaled for a decade - but their current focus is on looking down, not up.
They have the unenviable task of a trip to Anfield on Sunday with some tough games ahead, meaning the crisis could still get worse. Fulham and Tottenham , both on the road, are also on the horizon. Wins at Old Trafford are hardly in regular supply either.
We take a look at how the opening weeks of 2025 will look for those currently in the bottom three .