- Manchester United are 14th in the Premier League after losing to Newcastle
- Rubén Amorim admits that his team has been dragged into a relegation fight
- LISTEN NOW: It's all starting! New line-up, some new faces, but optimism has faded at Old Trafford
Manchester United's relegation chances have been revealed by statistics experts after their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle left them facing a shocking drop.
United are 14th in the Premier League and just seven points clear of the bottom three, leaving Ruben Amorim to admit they are fighting for their top-flight credentials.
The defeat at Old Trafford, which came after goals from Alexander Isak and Joelinton, was the club's fourth in a row in all competitions and Amorim's fifth defeat in its first eight league games – the worst start for a coach in the United in 103 years.
With a half-way tally of just 22 points, the fallen heavyweights have been dragged closer to the dreaded points line and Ipswich's 2-0 win against Chelsea at Portman Road narrowed the gap ahead of the trip from United to Liverpool.
Now, the club's chances of falling into the championship have been revealed.
According to the Opta supercomputerThere is a silver lining, however: United face just a 0.1 per cent chance of relegating to 18th. Meanwhile, there is a zero per cent chance of them finishing 19th or bottom.
Manchester United's relegation chances have been revealed by statistics experts
Rubén Amorim's team lost 2-0 against Newcastle, their fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions
The result left United in 14th place in the Premier League and just seven points clear of the relegation zone.
The algorithm has calculated a 0.6 percent chance of finishing 17th, while even 16th is considered an outside shot at 3.1 percent.
Twelfth place is the most likely position for United at the end of the season, with a probability of 15.1 per cent, and 13th place, with 13.9 per cent.
Sadly, the club's hopes of finishing 10th, and therefore in the top half of the table, are 10.6 per cent. Finishing in the top four has a 0.3 percent chance.
Amorim has accepted responsibility for his team's terrible form, saying: “It's my fault too.” I think the team is not improving. He's a little lost at the moment. It's a bit embarrassing to be Manchester United manager and lose a lot of games.
“But we have to face difficult times in everyone's lives.”
Asked if United were in danger of going down, Amorim added: “That's very clear, so we have to fight.” It's a really difficult moment, one of the most difficult moments in Manchester United's history and we have to face it honestly.
'I am responsible. I don't like coming here and making excuses. I think people are tired of excuses in this club. I think our club needs a shock and we have to understand it. “It's a very difficult moment and we have to fight for the next game.”
Club legend Gary Neville also fears relegation.
But there is a silver lining: United face just a 0.1 per cent chance of finishing 18th.
Amorim accepted blame for terrible form and admitted relegation is now a possibility
“He (Amorim) was determined not to change, but he must be suffering deep down,” Neville said, speaking on Sky Sports. 'I'm worried too. It was really gloomy. That first half hour was difficult to watch for a United fan.
'There is no doubt: performances and results have deteriorated in recent weeks. Some of the players in the system find it very difficult to have confidence.
“The concern is that they will be drawn into a fight near the bottom.
'I think they have a lot to do and that is to be very, very kind. I don't think this group of players has the quality that (Erik) Ten Hag, Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer), José Mourinho or Louis van Gaal have had.
“They weren't good enough for Manchester United in those periods, but they were better teams and squads than they are today.”
