Dimitar Berbatov could barely believe what he was seeing as Manchester United slipped into the Premier League relegation zone on Saturday while Gary Neville described the situation as “sobering”.
United dropped to 18th after Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City 3-1 at the City Ground. Forest moved up to 16th with nine points from 10 matches, pushing Michael Carrick’s side into the bottom three.
According to TNT Sports, United have collected just seven points from their opening nine league fixtures.
Berbatov's Brutal Reaction
Berbatov was working as a pundit during Forest’s meeting with City when he noticed United’s position in the table. The former striker put his head in his hands before giving a blunt assessment of his old club.
“I don't believe it, but the way United are playing sometimes, they deserve to be there honestly,” Berbatov said.
He reminded viewers that United still had a chance to climb out of the bottom three.
“Tomorrow they still have a game.”
The reaction quickly caught the attention of United supporters. His criticism reflected a difficult league campaign in which United have managed just one win, a 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town in August.
They have gone seven consecutive league matches without another victory.
Neville's Sobering Verdict
Neville’s response was less theatrical but equally concerning. Speaking alongside Rebecca Lowe and Phil Neville on NBC Sports ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Aston Villa, the former United captain discussed the club’s position and what the fall into the relegation zone means.
The NBC Sports segment was titled Seeing Manchester United in relegation zone is 'sobering', reflecting Neville’s assessment.
His reaction carries weight given his long association with United and his understanding of the standards expected at the club.
For a team that dominated English football for much of the Premier League era, sitting in the bottom three after nine matches marks a remarkable decline. The problems at Old Trafford go beyond one disappointing result.
How United Fell into the Bottom Three
United entered the weekend with seven points from nine Premier League matches. They had recorded one win, four draws and four defeats.
Their only victory came against Ipswich in August. Since then, they have drawn with Everton, Fulham, Tottenham and Leeds, and lost to Manchester City, Bournemouth and Chelsea, as well as suffering an opening-day defeat against Hull City.
Forest’s win over City changed the standings. Liam Delap scored twice, while Jair Cunha also found the net in a 3-1 victory that lifted Forest to ninth points and 16th place.
| Position | Clubs | Played | Points |
| 16th | Nottingham Forest | 10 | 9 |
| 17th | Coventry City | 10 | 9 |
| 18th | Manchester United | 9 | 7 |
| 19th | Crystal Palace | 9 | 7 |
| 20th | Sunderland | 9 | 5 |
United’s goal difference of minus five keeps them above Crystal Palace, who also have seven points but a minus-12 record. They are just two points ahead of bottom-placed Sunderland.
