Man Utd: 5 Things We've Learned From Their New Year Slump

You have to go back to May 2001 to find the last time Manchester United lost three matches in a row. At that stage they had already wrapped up yet another Premier League title under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Fast forward the best part of 13 years and the Red Devils find themselves in quite a different situation with David Moyes at the helm. United had looked equal to the task of a demanding festive fixture programme after winning six in a row after an early December wobble.

To his credit Moyes has made relatively plain sailing of his first proper crack at the Champions League as a manager, but the Old Trafford faithful are used to being a force in all competitions. Victories ground out over West Ham, Hull and Norwich have been belied, however, by successive losses to Spurs, Swansea and Sunderland. The Red Devils are a dozen points off the pace in the title race. Moyes is also out of the FA Cup and progress to the League Cup final is in the balance. What are the hallmarks of his nightmare start to 2014? More importantly, what can be done to reverse United's fortunes? Here are five things we've learned about United because of their New Year slump.