Are Manchester United On Course For A Premier League Title Challenge?

No team outside the top five after eight Premier League matches has gone on to win the title - which is bad news for Manchester United fans.

It has been an up and down start for Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, with four wins, two draws and two losses seeing them currently sit in seventh. 

And history suggests that their bid for their first title since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013 could be faltering even at this early stage.

In fact, 20 of the 24 Premier League title winners were in the top three after eight games, highlighting just hard how it is to make up ground on the early front runners.

Chelsea are currently fifth and they can take hope from United's title win under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2009 when they won only four of their opening eight league matches and were fifth, but still ended up winning the title after an incredible run of 19 wins in their last 21 games. 

Indeed, after Red Monday's 0-0 draw with Liverpool, former United defender Gary Neville believes their quest for the Premier League trophy could be out of reach this term.

"[The performance] Tells you a little bit about where United are at tonight. In Mourinho's first year back at Chelsea he said they weren't ready to win the league and I don't think this Manchester United team are," Neville told Sky Sports. 

"I just think they're not ready at this moment in time in terms of that next step, with the jump in quality that's required and he might need one or two more transfer windows."

Credit: Skysports.com