Manchester United have endured a shocking start to the new season, leaving boss Erik ten Hag with a packed to-do list as he attempts to get the Red Devils back on track
Whatever Erik ten Hag says in public, his Manchester United side are currently in the mire.
The Red Devils’ boss has denied that his team are in a crisis over the opening weeks of the season. However, it is hard to look beyond their current woes, given that United have lost three out of their opening five matches of the season. That leaves them languishing 13th in the Premier League table. It does not look like it will get any easier, either.
Ten Hag’s side face a bruising trip to face Bayern Munich in their opening Champions League group game on Wednesday, while their injury list is showing no sign of getting any shorter. The manager has plenty of work to do to haul his side out of their current hole. Here, Mirror Football takes a look at his immediate to-do list at Old Trafford…
1. Get Rashford firing again
There’s simply no disputing that Marcus Rashford was one of the best players in the Premier League last term. The Red Devils academy graduate enjoyed his most productive season with 30 goals and 11 assists.
He hasn’t quite managed to hit the same heights this term. Rashford has just a solitary goal to his name despite missing a total of just seven minutes of football.
To his credit, it is not all the forward’s fault. He has been played in his less-fancied central attacking position in the majority of games so far. It feels as though Rashford’s form will be key in United getting themselves back on track so the sooner he discovers that – with Ten Hag’s help – the better.
Marcus Rashford has scored just one goal so far this season ( Image: Getty Images)
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2. Make a decision over Casemiro
Another Red Devils’ star who hasn’t quite managed to match the heights expected of him is Brazilian midfielder Casemiro. He looked to be an inspired signing from Real Madrid last term.
His presence in front of the defence was crucial, whilst he also popped up with a number of key goals. Casemiro has struggled since though. He is no longer an all-dominating figure in the Red Devils’ midfield. The pace of the English top-flight seems to have caught-up with the 31-year-old – with Gabby Agbonlahor suggesting he is playing like a 45-year-old.
There’s simply no doubt that a decision needs to be made – whether that be sitting Casemiro down for a detailed chat over his role or replacing him in the starting line-up.
3. Tighten up defensively
One of the Red Devils’ main downfalls this season has been their inability to keep the ball out of their own net. United have conceded 10 goals already.
Only two sides – Wolves and Burnley – have a worse defence than Ten Hag’s side throughout the early weeks of the season. For a side who are aiming to once again secure a place in the Champions League, that is not good enough.
There have been a few reasons for their leakyness so far: summer signing Andre Onana’s rough start to life, an unsettled back four and a confused midfiled. However, it is down to Ten Hag to find a solution.
Could that be potentially bringing former captain Harry Maguire back into fold? Or slightly tweaking the system to be more defensive?
Andre Onana has picked the ball out of his net on a few too many occasions ( Image: Getty Images)
4. Come up with right-wing solution
On the topic of Ten Hag’s team selection, he has also been dealt a tough hand when it comes to United’s options on the right-flank. Antony and Jadon Sancho are both not available for differing reasons.
That has left their options very low. Their only natural right-winger is young Uruguayan Facundo Pellestri, whilst both Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes have been played out of position.
Whilst that can work short-term, it would never represent a long-term option for the Red Devils. Again, it might be worth a glance at the drawing board for a system that is not so reliant on the flanks.
5. Define a style
As it stands, the Red Devils do not have a defined style of play. While their rivals like Manchester City and Arsenal have a consistent approach, United don’t seem to have found one…
That has led to them looking extremely disjointed, particularly when defending. Ten Hag has regularly drilled into the squad to be relentless in the press but there has been no evidence of that so far.
That might not totally be the Dutchman’s fault, with some of the players at his disposal far-from-ideal options when it comes to implementing the system. Ten Hag then needs to answer whether it is worth persisting with this muddled style, or whether a rethink that suits his side might be more appropriate.
Erik ten Hag might need to go back to the drawing board at Man United ( Image: Getty Images)
6. Calm the squad down
Away from his managerial decisions, Ten Hag also has a lot of work to do when it comes to the mentality of his squad. So far this season, the Red Devils has seemed incapable of reacting positively to going behind.
Against Tottenham, Arsenal and Brighton, they capitulated to concede again once they had already gone behind. They only managed to beat Nottingham Forest due to a number of contentious refereeing decisions.
Whilst it will frustrate the squad when going 1-0 behind, they certainly need to have a more determined attitude when it comes to getting back into the game. The responsibility for that lies with Ten Hag when preparing his side immediately before the game, as well as relaying messages to players mid-game.
7. Clear out the treatment room
We know Ten Hag does not have a magic wand to make injuries disappear but the Dutchman needs to do all he can to alleviate the strain on the Red Devils’ squad. United currently have eight players restricted to the sidelines with various injuries.
Right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka became the latest to be struck down with a problem ahead of the midweek trip to Bavaria. Injuries are part and parcel of the game but Ten Hag has to take a close look at why they’re occurring with such frequency.
