Manchester United are officially out of this year’s UEFA Champions League tournament after a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the final group stage game, a result which saw them not only exit the competition but break yet another unwanted record under Erik ten Hag.
With just four points in six games to their name, Man United have officially recorded their worst-ever Champions League performance in club history.
Despite having scored 12 goals over the course of half a dozen matches — the same amount as Bayern, whose single goal on Wednesday night was enough to bury any hope of the Reds remaining in Europe — they also conceded 15, the most by a Premier League side in any group stage of the competition.
It’s also only the second time ever they have finished bottom of their group; the last time they did so was in the 2005/06 season, taking six points and only coming last after conceding two more goals than Lille.
Man United make history once again 👀
They become the first English club to concede 15 #UCL goals!
To make that stat even more damning, only two other English sides (Manchester City and Blackburn) have ever finished bottom of their UCL group, making United the only team to have now picked up that unwanted record twice.
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Having only returned to the top-flight European competition this season, fans were by no means expecting anything miraculous but will have certainly been hoping to make it through to the knockouts. However, history since Sir Alex Ferguson shows that even that isn’t always a given anymore.
The Red Devils have now been knocked out in the group stages in three out of the seven seasons they have spent in the Champions League since Fergie retired — the same number of times that happened in his entire tenure — and have only made it as far as the quarter-finals.
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But the stats just keep coming, as the defeat against the Bundesliga giants also marked their 12th in all competitions, the same number of matches they lost in the entire 22/23 season. Unfortunately for Erik ten Hag, it seems Man United’s long list of unwanted records just keeps growing at the minute.
The manager insisted that he thought many of the performances on Wednesday were good but did admit that they “didn’t lose it today”, i.e. having thrown away multiple 2-0 leads in the previous fixtures and making result-defining errors throughout this year’s Champions League campaign.
Having finished bottom of the group, this also means that they won’t be playing in UEFA’s second-rate competition, the Europa League, for the rest of the season either and with now just the FA Cup and a very tall order of the Premier League to fight for, the chance of consecutive silverware looks slim.
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Even more concerningly for Reds, though, ten Hag’s team face Liverpool away at Anfield on Sunday, with Jurgen Klopp’s side currently sitting top of the table and with the highest goal difference in the league — not to mention Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were both withdrawn due to injuries.
United might have been the most in-form team in the Prem a few games back but now that stat belongs to their historic rivals, they’re even more injury-riddled than they were a week ago and they’ve had more than a few disappointing derby days at home of late, let alone on Merseyside.
Featured Images — Manchester United (via Instagram)
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Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.
The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.
Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.
In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.
It’s the end and that’s it. Man United got boo’ed by the fans after the final whistle.
They got beaten by non-full team Asean All-Star who just trained together as a group few days before the match. pic.twitter.com/fBxnMiZPN8
For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.
All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.
He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”
Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.
Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.
United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.
You can see his full post-match press conference down below.
Featured Images — Manchester United (screenshot via YouTube)/Edward Kuruvilla (via X)
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Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.
The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.
In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.
Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.
Stockport County is thrilled to announce the introduction of safe standing areas at Edgeley Park ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Visit the club site for more details on this exciting new development ⤵️#StockportCounty
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2025
As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.
With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.
Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”
The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”
Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.
Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.
“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.
“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”
The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?
Danny Jones -
13th December 2023 
