Man Utd - What is going Wrong?

Man Utd have only won 2 out of their opening 6 fixtures and lost the other 4. They have conceded 14 goals this season already, which is the highest in comparison to all other Premier League clubs. Injuries have been an issue, with 12 first-team players out in these opening couple of months, key players such as Varane and Mount and new summer signing Amrabat all injured. United have played poorly in all of their matches this season which comes as a huge surprise considering a promising last season and a decent window for reinforcements. Of course, new signings Hojlund and Amrabat both came with injuries and did not start the opening few matches with the latter still out with an injury. 

Erik Ten Hag is certainly feeling the pressure, with yet another falling out with Jadon Sancho, who seemed to hit out at the false accusations made by Ten Hag regarding his ethics and effort during training sessions. Yet without injuries and suspensions, Man Utd still have a star-studded lineup which includes Rashford, Bruno, Onana, Casemiro etc., Yet, they have struggled to put in a consistent performance for a whole 90 minutes. There have been periods in matches where they have been dominant but once they concede a goal, the player's heads seem to drop and already accept defeat. It is clear that this team lacks mentality and leadership at the highest level to ensure they stay in games even when going a goal behind, however, this team seems to capitulate whenever things go against them. 

Brighton at home was a classic example of Man Utd's performances in recent times. Dominant for the opening 20 minutes, should have been a goal up through a few Rashford and Hojlund missed chances. However, against the run of play and mainly due to the off-the-ball work rate of most players, Brighton carved United open took the lead and became the more dominant team in the match. Yes, there have been contentious decisions that have gone against United in most games, but it is no excuse for their poor work rate and tracking of players when they do not have possessions as it has become too easy to play through this Man Utd midfield and defence. Man Utd miss the experience, pace and height of Varane in defence as Lindelof is too passive and less physical. Martinez has struggled to find form ever since his injury but I have no doubt he will find his form again. The only positive has been new loanee Reguilon at LB to cover the absence of both Shaw and Malacia who have long-term injuries.

The midfield is a huge issue. It was evident that Mount did not balance that midfield as he was playing next to Bruno which left Casemiro exposed on the counter. Eriksen is not a physical player and cannot handle defensive responsibilities and players easily bypass him in midfield which once again leaves Casemiro with a mountain of tasks. McTominay, you would expect to help out, but his attitude when it comes to club matches looks poor and his work rate is low as seen in the recent game against Bayern Munich. So it is evident that this midfield needs balance and someone who can sit alongside Casemiro and be physical and robust, unlike Eriksen or McTominay. Hence the addition of Amrabat could shift the tide for Man Utd, as he is a player willing to do the dirty work for the squad and cover for Casemiro. With the return of Varane, Mount, Mainoo also on the horizon could help Utd turn their tide around and gain some form again. 

But these injuries have proved how weak and thin this United team are and that they don't have any reliant players to come off the bench bare the odd one or two. Their defence needs a revamp especially when it comes to covering for Varane who is slightly injury-prone. It wouldn't surprise me if he is injured again and this defence goes through a patchy spell once more without him until an adequate replacement/under-study is bought in. With the return of Amrabat, Mount and Mainoo, this midfield will be revitalised and have a stronger depth than it currently does.

A lot has been made about Onana's shot-stopping and so far it has been poor and he has also admitted to his poor form. But his mentality and attitude are exactly that of a Man Utd player should be, hence as of now I would have no concerns over his poor form yet. 

Thus, I do expect United to wake up when these players return but it still concerns me how their mentality has not improved whenever they go a goal down and how poor the defence's depth is when there is only a couple of injuries. Things need to change fast though otherwise, Ten Hag is in huge trouble as it won't be long until he'll be thrown under the bus by the owners and the players as well.