"MANCHESTER, England -- No manager, no chance of a trophy and no real hope. Manchester United have seen some low ebbs in the 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. In falling at the first hurdle in the FA Cup with a 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Sunday, they reached a new one. There have been so many bad seasons since Ferguson departed in 2013 that it's difficult to single out one in particular."
"Throw in the Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby Town in August and Ruben Amorim's sacking, then this has already been an utterly disastrous season. The only thing left to play for over the next four-and-a-half months is the desperate scramble to get back into Europe. On this evidence, it's far from a given. Not since 1981-82 have a United team been knocked out so early in both domestic cup competitions."
Manchester United entered 2025-26 without a permanent manager and were eliminated early from both domestic cups, falling 2-1 to Brighton at Old Trafford and losing earlier in the Carabao Cup to League Two Grimsby Town. Ruben Amorim was sacked, leaving caretaker Darren Fletcher in charge and the club with no realistic chance of silverware. The season's only remaining objective is to secure European qualification, ideally the Champions League for sporting and recruitment reasons. United are on pace to play far fewer matches than last season, matching historic lows for a full campaign and underscoring a severe club crisis.
Read at ESPN.com
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