It is the most competitive league in the world, but some teams simply cannot keep up with the pace. It is already clear that Southampton will be heading back to the Championship, while Leicester and Ipswich are their likely companions. Even Wolves cannot afford to relax, although they seem to be a significantly stronger team than that trio. However, the legendary Rio Ferdinand is so concerned that he currently does not see much of a difference between Southampton, Leicester, Ipswich, and Manchester United, fearing that the Old Trafford giants could face relegation from the Premier League.Ruben Amorim’s win rate in the Premier League compared to Man Utd’s last five permanent managers 😒📉 pic.twitter.com/bsc8W5fkwR— LiveScore (@livescore) February 16, 2025 It seems like an exaggeration. If nothing else, United has a 12-point advantage over Ipswich and Leicester. But Ferdinand remains unimpressed. And while his predictions may not come true, the fact that United is even being mentioned in the relegation battle speaks volumes about their current situation. Alongside Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, they were one of the biggest clubs at the start of the 21st century.“Manchester United are absolutely struggling at the moment. Only Wolves and West Ham separate my club from the relegation places. Do you realise we’re that close? Someone said we need 11 points just to stay up and I’m starting to think like that. I’ve got the fixture list here and I’m looking at the game and I’m being serious here. Go through it. Everton away, Ipswich at home, Arsenal, Forest away, Man City, Newcastle away, Wolves, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Leicester“ he pointed out in his podcast after a Tottenham loss.Amorim’s alibis have no end: “I have a lot of problems, my job is very difficult”A defeat from Spurs leaves United with 12 defeats so far in the league, and the Red Devils managed only 29 points from 25 matches. League leaders Liverpool are as much as 31 points away from them. So, when Ferdinands looks at the remaining schedule, he sees only one game in his former team can get at least a point.“The only place I potentially see us getting anything – and I’m not even saying a win – is Leicester. We’ve slapped up Leicester a couple of times already this season so we’ve got their number. Normally you look at the fixture list and you can see where the points are coming from. We just looked at the fixture list and I’m not seeing outright wins, I’m not looking at it thinking there’s three points here and there’s three points there. That’s the problem“ he said.’United are a lot worse under Amorim’And while relegation is still a distant possibility, the fact that Manchester United is even having this conversation is a major issue. The truth is, against Tottenham, Amorim was without 12 players, including Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, and Christian Eriksen, which left a huge gap in midfield. Bruno Fernandes had to drop deeper alongside Casemiro in a 3-4-3 formation. United legend Gary Neville also sees this as a major problem.“How quickly can Amorim and United’s scouting department reach the point where the team is fully adapted to the 3-4-3 system? That will take at least two or three transfer windows because of all the previous investments. They’ve lost 300 million pounds over the past three years, and that’s a nightmare. A lot of deadwood has built up over the years” he said.Not even Ange’s Spurs are that bad! Amorim’s side now flirts with relegationUnited did spend 30 million in January on Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu, but their financial situation is far from ideal. No one wants to give up the massive wages they earn at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford and Antony may have left, but only on loan to Aston Villa and Real Betis until the end of the season. Without sales, United will not have the funds to rebuild the squad as Amorim desires—that budget was already spent on Erik ten Hag. That is why rumors are circulating that United might have to “sacrifice” some of their young talents. Chelsea wants Alejandro Garnacho, while Napoli is seriously interested in Mainoo.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – PLAYOFFSReturn legTuesday 20.45: (1.45) Milan (4.50) Feyenoord (7.00)23.00: (1.55) Atalanta (4.10) Club Brugge (6.00)23.00: (1.20) Bayern (7.25) Celtic (12.0)23.00: (1.95) Benfica (3.50) Monaco (3.90)Wednesday 20.45: (1.95) Dortmund (3.50) Sporting (3.90)23.00: (1.18) PSG (7.25) Brest (15.0)23.00: (2.30) PSV (3.45) Juventus (3.05)23.00: (1.85) Real Madrid (3.80) Man.City (4.00)***odds are subject to change***
