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Manchester United Could Be Relegated From The Premier League This Season, Says Sam Allardyce

Manchester United Could Be Relegated From The Premier League This Season, Says Sam Allardyce

Bold statement.

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare

Former England manager Sam Allardyce believes Manchester United are in big trouble if confidence and injuries persist.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon after 19-year-old midfielder Matty Longstaff scored a screamer on his Premier League debut.

This weekend's result means that United are just two points above the relegation zone.

The Reds have picked up just two wins in nine since their opening day win against Chelsea at Old Trafford, their worst start to a league season in 30 years.

And Allardyce thinks there is a chance that United could be relegated from the Premier League this season.

"They went down [in 1974] with a terrific team on paper," Allardyce told talkSPORT.

"So it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that they could catastrophically fall into more problems if confidence goes and injuries stay like they are.

"Players tend not to get as fit as quick as they would do when things are going well, that's an absolute fact.

"There's the disturbance of [Paul] Pogba wanting away and who will pop up next saying, 'I see this going the wrong way, I want to leave?'"

Allardyce, as so many others have in recent weeks, pointed at the club's decision to not replace Romelu Lukaku this summer.

The Belgian left in the summer transfer window and since, Solskjaer's team have struggled to find the net.

"Manchester United do not have enough goals and you can see it becoming a struggle. Hopefully it's not a struggle down the bottom end, but they're certainly heading that way." he said.

"Ole's got a big job, I know they say it's a rebuilding time and it is a rebuilding time, but you can't get rid of your best goalscorer in the squad and not replace him. That's a huge problem.

"Where are they going to get the top striker that they want?"

Image: PA
Image: PA

Solskjaer, on the other hand, admitted that he's happier being a striker short. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Norwegian revealed he is happy with what he has got.

"I can say [I am a striker short], but that was the decision that I made and I made it happily. When you have players, [they may have] great potential, but Romelu's head was not here for us working forward as a group.

"I don't want to speak too much about other players. I have got lots of respects for Romelu but his time was up here.

"We are very happy with the recruitment we did. Towards the end the right one we just didn't get him over the line.

"You'd rather bite the bullet and wait because you don't want to spend big amounts of money on something that you are not sure of."

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Topics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, Sam Allardyce, Romelu Lukaku