Manchester United's relegation chances have been revealed by stats experts after their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle saw them suffer a shock drop.
United are 14th in the Premier League and just seven points above the bottom three, forcing Ruben Amorim to admit they are fighting for their top performances.
The loss at Old Trafford, which came after goals from Alexander Isak and Joelinton, was the club's fourth straight defeat in all competitions and Amorim's fifth defeat in his first eight league games – the poorest start for a United manager in 103 year.
With a total of just 22 points at the halfway point, the fallen heavyweights have been dragged closer to the dreaded dotted line and Ipswich's 2-0 win against Chelsea at Portman Road closed the gap ahead of United's trip to Liverpool.
Now the club's chances of making it into the Championship have been laid bare.
However, according to Opta's supercomputer, there is a bright spot: United only has a 0.1 percent chance of being relegated to 18th place. Meanwhile, there is a zero percent chance that they will finish in 19th place or bottom.
The algorithm has given a 0.6 percent chance of 17th place, while even 16th place is considered an outside chance of 3.1 percent.
Twelfth is United's most likely position at the end of the season, with a 15.1 percent chance, while thirteenth has a 13.9 percent chance.
Damn enough, the club's hopes of finishing in tenth place, and therefore in the top half of the table, stand at 10.6 percent. A place in the top four is a 0.3 percent possibility.
Amorim has accepted responsibility for his party's dismal form, saying: 'It's my fault too. I don't think the team is getting any better. It's a bit lost at the moment. It's a bit embarrassing to be coach of Manchester United and lose a lot of games.
“But we are dealing with difficult moments in everyone's lives.”
Asked if United were in danger of falling, Amorim added: “That is very clear, so we have to fight. It is a very difficult moment, one of the more difficult moments in the history of Manchester United and we have to deal with it honestly.
'I am responsible. I don't like coming here and making excuses. I think the people in this club have had enough of excuses. I think our club needs a shock and we have to understand that. It's a very difficult moment and we have to fight for the next game.'
Club legend Gary Neville also fears a relegation battle.
“He (Amorim) was determined that he would not change, but he must suffer deep inside,” Marcel told Sky Sports. 'I'm worried too. It was really grim. That first half hour was difficult to watch as a United fan.
'There is no doubt about it: performance and results have deteriorated in recent weeks. They find it very difficult, some players with the system find it very difficult with the confidence.
“The concern is that they'll get involved in a fight down there.
'I think they have a lot to do and that means being very friendly. I don't think this group of players are of the quality of those who do that [Erik] Ten Hag has had, Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] has had, Jose Mourinho has had, or Louis van Gaal.
'They weren't good enough for Manchester United in those periods, but they were better teams and better squads than they are now.'
Comments