Skip to content

Manchester United set their lowest Premier League points total after 23 games

Manchester United players look dejected
Image: Man Utd have recorded their lowest Premier League points total after 23 games

Manchester United's players were booed off after their 1-0 home defeat to Southampton - and the stats highlight just how bad it has got for Louis van Gaal's men.

United have mustered their lowest-ever Premier League points total after 23 games.

Their tally of 37 (from 10 wins and seven draws) is three points worse off than the 40 they had at this stage during David Moyes' solitary season in charge. In 2006/07, Manchester United had 57 points after 23 games.

Man Utd 0-1 Southampton
Man Utd 0-1 Southampton

Read our match report

Man Utd after 23 games in Premier League

Rank Season Points
1 06/07 57
- - -
20 95/96 42
21 92/93 41
22 13/14 40
23 15/16 37

Van Gaal's side - who were on course for their sixth goalless draw of the season until Charlie Austin's late winner - also have their worst-ever Premier League goals-per-game ratio.

Man Utd goals-per-game in Premier League

Rank Season Goals per game
1 1999/00 2.55
- - -
21 1992/93 1.60
22 2004/05 1.53
23 2015/16 1.22
Wayne Rooney takes a shot during Manchester United's clash with Southampton at Old Trafford
Image: Wayne Rooney was unable to find a way past Southampton

United - who have scored 28 times - are averaging just 1.22 goals per game. In eight Premier League matches they've failed to score at all. Manchester United supporters were enjoying an average of 2.55 goals per game in 1999/00.

In fact, in their 138 year history, in only eight seasons have Manchester United scored fewer goals after 23 matches.

All-time Man Utd fewest goals after 23 games

Season Goals
1973/74 20
1972/73 21
1893/94 24
1906/07 24
1921/22 25
1968/69 26
1930/31 27
1989/90 27
1970/71 28
2015/16 28
Louis van Gaal covers his eyes during a low-key first half of Manchester United's game against Southampton
Image: Louis van Gaal shows his frustration during the first half against Southampton

The numbers make unhappy reading for manager Van Gaal. And his personal stats aren't much better.

Also See:

Van Gaal has the worst win percentage of any Manchester United manager in the Premier League era - just 49.2 per cent.

Man Utd managers - Premier League record

Manager Games Won Drawn Lost Win%
Alex Ferguson 810 528 168 114 65.2
David Moyes 34 17 6 11 50
Ryan Giggs 4 2 1 1 50
Louis van Gaal 61 30 17 14 49.2

"The fans want to see a winning Manchester United and we could not provide that for them," Van Gaal lamented after the game. "The expectations are very high and the pressure for the players is also high because of that."

The pressure will continue to grow until Van Gaal and his players address these worrying statistics. 

Around Sky