When Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United after 27 years in charge, many might not have expected new manager David Moyes to win the Premier League in his first season on charge. But no-one could have predicted that United would be languishing in 7th place in the league at this stage of the season. United have lost 8 out of their 26 games to date, winning just 12 (having drawn 6), leaving them 11 points adrift of a fourth and a place in next season's UEFA Champions League. They have also been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions, having been beaten at home to Swansea in the 3rd round of the F.A. Cup and lost a Capital One Cup semi final to Sunderland on penalties. Their qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League, where they face Olympiakos in the Last 16, is the only real positive in a - in relative terms - disastrous campaign so far. United, dominant for so many years with Ferguson at the helm, have never finished below the top 3 in the 21 year history of the Premier League. A failure to finish in the top 4 would mark the first time United have not participated in the UEFA Champions League since the 1995/96 season, but their most realistic chance - and it would be appear to be a long shot given their form this season - of qualifying for next season's premier European competition is by winning this year's Champions League. This struggle cannot be put down to one singular reason, such as Moyes replacing Ferguson, but it's down to a multitude of reasons, many of which intertwine. Let's go through six main reasons that have culminated in the Red Devils' plight.