What can the worst Man Utd team in Premier League history realistically expect to achieve this season?

Only once before in the Premier League era have Manchester United changed manager mid-season, so there isn't much precedent when it comes to predicting the path that 2018/19 will now take.

Having parted ways with Jose Mourinho, United fans will be optimistic that the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer means a turnaround in fortunes is not completely impossible.

Sixth in the table after 17 games with just 26 points - their lowest ever tally at this stage of a Premier League season - there is vast room for improvement and an awful lot of catching up to do under the man who will be in charge until the end of the season, and not a huge amount of time to do it.

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Even in the season following Sir Alex Ferguson's departure - when United finished seventh in the table - David Moyes' side had more points after 17 matches than they do now. In Mourinho's first season they had 30 points at this stage of the season, and ended up finishing sixth.

So, given the mess the club finds itself in with 11 points already separating them from the top four, what hope is there that this season can be turned into something resembling a success?

Given they came second last season, the minimum aim for Mourinho and United this term would have been Champions League qualification, while many fans would have been hopeful of a decent run in Europe as well as a tilt at a trophy.

The top four is not completely out of sight. Gaps wider than 11 points have been eroded in less time than is available to United and teams have finished in fourth after worse starts than United have made this season. However, history suggests they are up against it.

Of the 104 teams to make up the top four in the Premier League's 26 seasons, only two have finished in the top four after a worse start to the season than United this season: Leeds in 2000/01 and Liverpool in 2003/04. Both teams had 25 points at the 17-game mark and finished the season fourth. Meanwhile, Arsenal had 26 points at this stage of 1998/99 and ended up recovering so dramatically that they came second. In the increasingly competitive world the Premier League now is, it is difficult to see United posing any kind of threat to the top two.

Things look slightly better when it comes to the Champions League, though, where form in the group stages is largely irrelevant as long as you progress. There are plenty of examples of teams scraping through in second place but improving dramatically in the latter stages.

United qualified from their group this season in second, with 10 points. Needless to say they will need better performances under their new manager if they are to go deep in the competition - or even make it past PSG in the next round - but doing so wouldn't be completely out of the ordinary.

Five of the last 15 Champions League winners have triumphed after finishing second in their group, while three have done so after picking up 10 or fewer points in the groups.

Real Madrid won their last two Champions League titles having finished second in the group stage, and in doing so have shown exactly what elite clubs do best: peak at just the right time.

At present United are far, far off the level of the European champions but, in spite of the impression given by recent performances and their league position, the have a squad full of talent and with more than enough quality to make inroads in Europe.

If Solskjaer can get this team performing, one of those start-of-season aims might just be achievable.