Manchester United players, both former and current, have been engaging in discussions about fan Frank Ilett — also known as “The United Strand” — and his viral haircut challenge in anticipation of their latest Premier League match against West Ham United two weeks ago. This topic became a focal point for journalists questioning head coach Michael Carrick and was a highlight for TV analysts leading up to the match.
“I have no interest in his haircut whatsoever,” remarked United midfielder Matheus Cunha prior to the game, while Old Trafford great Paul Scholes added, “I just hope they can secure a win tomorrow night so that lad can finally get his haircut.”
Ilett’s challenge continued to be a major talking point even after the match. Unfortunately for him, United could not achieve a fifth consecutive win that would have allowed him to cut his hair for the first time in over a year. Instead, they settled for a 1-1 draw, which would have resulted in a loss if not for Benjamin Sesko‘s stunning flicked goal in the dying moments of the game.
The match outcome left United in fourth place, continuing their fight for qualification to next year’s Champions League and keeping Carrick’s unbeaten streak intact. However, it also meant that Ilett’s challenge, which started in October 2024, would persist for a little while longer.
So, what’s the best way for Ilett’s challenge to conclude before the 2025-26 season wraps up?
Winning five in a row isn’t that tough
In an interview with ESPN celebrating the first anniversary of his challenge last October, Ilett shared that things hadn’t unfolded as he had hoped. “I expected it to last a few months and be lighthearted,” he said. “It was meant to bring some laughs to Man United fans during a challenging time.”
“At that time, it didn’t seem far-fetched because the season before, they had won five games in a row.”
Ilett initiated his challenge eight months after United’s last five-game winning streak, which occurred between January and February 2024. It’s understandable why he believed it would be a short endeavor. Throughout the Premier League history (since the 1992-93 season), there have been 333 instances of teams achieving five consecutive victories. United alone has achieved this feat 58 times. It couldn’t take too long… could it?
Ten teams have managed to win five games in a row since United last did. These include Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham Hotspur. Most of these winning streaks go unnoticed: just last weekend, City managed to secure a 2-1 victory over Newcastle for their fifth consecutive win across all competitions.
However, for a long period, United struggled to replicate similar success. Under former manager Ruben Amorim, they only achieved three straight wins once—a short stint last January that included victories against Rangers and Fenerbahce in the Europa League and a league win over Fulham.
While Ilett aimed to provide some lightheartedness for United fans during a challenging phase for the club, that sentiment has not always resonated well.
“He’s driving me crazy,” United icon Wayne Rooney expressed on the BBC’s No Tippy, No Tappy podcast before the clash with West Ham.
“We’re sitting here talking about Michael Carrick and Manchester United striving for their fifth straight win, yet it all revolves around this guy and his haircut. I bet he’s heartbroken if United wins, because he’ll become irrelevant.”
Forecasting the challenge’s potential conclusion
Now, let’s look at the numbers. United has only 12 games left in a 40-game season, primarily due to not participating in European competitions and early exits from the Carabao Cup (against Grimsby Town) and FA Cup (versus Brighton).
It’s an understandably tough stretch ahead. Just five of those 12 games are against teams positioned in the lower half of the league. However, three of those matches will take place in their final three encounters. Using Opta’s recent power ranking analyses, along with considerations for home advantage, the statistically most favorable sequence for United is their last five games.
Time is also a factor. If United cannot achieve five consecutive wins before the season concludes, Ilett will have to wait until the new Premier League season kicks off on August 22, reaching Day 688… and beyond.