The very thought of Manchester United being relegated seems almost too ridiculous for words.
This is one of the most famous sports clubs on the planet. The record 20-time champions of England.
Yet as United’s players trailed off the pitch at Old Trafford on Monday night, beaten and bewildered after their latest defeat at the hands of Newcastle, the threat of relegation never felt more real in the Premier League era.
It has happened before, of course. United dropped out of the old First Division in 1974, just six years after winning the European Cup under Sir Matt Busby.