Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim said the reason he has started talking about the possibility of relegation is because the club needs a shock. (More Football News)22win

Amorim's side were beaten 2-0 at home to Newcastle United on Monday, which was their fifth defeat in their last six league games.

That result has left Manchester United 14th in the Premier League table, their lowest position at the turn of the year in the league since 1989, and closer to the relegation zone than the top six in terms of points.

United are seven points ahead of third-bottom Ipswich Town, while they trail sixth-placed Manchester City by nine points.

Speaking of the current side, the 16-man squad features five players who will be making their Olympic debut. Harmanpreet, who is representing India for his third Olympics, made his bow at the 2016 edition.

"He was so crazy about playing hockey that he would come home from school, skip meals, and head straight to practice. As Mandeep grew older, his commitment only deepened."

"People are tired of excuses in this club. Sometimes I talk about relegation because our club needs a shock. It's a shock," said Amorim.

The Newcastle result was United's third consecutive league defeat at Old Trafford, which is the first time that has happened since February 1979.

United were last relegated, meanwhile, in the 1973-74 season. Their current run of six straight defeats in all competitions in December represents only the third time in the club's history since they have lost that many matches in a month.

The game ends.#MUFC 22win