Man Utd facing £50m bill after setting unwanted club record dating back to World War I

Having once been perennial challengers for major honours at home and abroad, United have endured a humbling fall from grace. They were beaten in the Carabao Cup second round this term by League One outfit Grimsby.

A route to FA Cup glory remained open to the Red Devils early in 2026, but a third-round defeat was suffered there at the hands of top-flight rivals Brighton. United will now take in their fewest number of games across a single campaign in 111 years.

Another change in the dugout has been made in an effort to right those wrongs, with Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim being relieved of his duties on January 5. Darren Fletcher was placed in caretaker charge of first-team affairs, but oversaw a draw at relegation-threatened Burnley before being dumped out of the FA Cup by soaring Seagulls.

Michael Carrick has now been handed the reins on an interim basis through to the summer, when a permanent appointment will be sought. He faces a baptism of fire in a derby date with arch-rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford and a trip to Premier League leaders Arsenal.

However United fare in those fixtures, it is already set in stone that they will be taking in only 20 games on home soil this season - the lowest number that the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’ has played host to since the end of World War I.

With opportunities to generate matchday income in short supply, The Sun reports that the Red Devils face a shortfall of £50m in gate receipts alone. Last season, which included a run to the Europa League final, United played 30 matches at Old Trafford.

They took on 25 in their own backyard in 2023-24 and 26 across the 2021-22 campaign. While home draws are never guaranteed in cup competition, United have always been able to fall back on continental action. They did, however, come unstuck against Spurs in the 2025 Europa League final and could only muster a 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season.

Their ability to raise funds on home soil is only matched by Spurs, with each game generating in excess of £5m ($7m). Those numbers begin to stack up quickly when fixtures are removed from the schedule.

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Fletcher said of United’s issues after seeing them consigned to their shortest season since 1914-15: “That is where we are at. We can’t hide behind that. We have to face that and deal with that. It is not Manchester United level or what is expected of Manchester United. Ultimately we have to do something about that.

“We have to take a step forward by qualifying for the Champions League. Champions League places are important for a lot of reasons. It is important for the players and attracting players it’s important.

“I keep saying the players have to step up, they need to come together and they will. I’ll challenge them to do that because they’ve got enough leaders, experience and quality to do it.

“Learn how to deal with setbacks of conceding goals, try and build confidence, and in doing that you have to grind out ways to win. It’s not always a pretty way, especially when you’re low on confidence and conceding goals. Sometimes you need to roll your sleeves up, work hard and come together as a team.”

Carrick is said to have been informed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and United’s INEOS co-ownership group that European qualification is imperative. They will face a £10m penalty from kit suppliers adidas if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Absence from that competition costs any team around £50m, with four matches guaranteed in the league phase of elite European competition - with knockout games to come after that. Ratcliffe has already overseen controversial cost-cutting measures at Old Trafford that led to 400 club employees losing their jobs.