From the opinion of the media, pundits and fans alike, Manchester United's performance this season has been far from desirable, with the team losing eight of their first 15 games in all competitions, even a handful of those wins were questionably deserved.This is their worst start to a season in 61 years, the team's poor performances have raised questions about their ethic and most importantly their coach & ownership. Erik Ten Hag has been openly criticised for his shift to a supposed pragmatic approach, which some believe has hurt the team's long-term sustainability of the team. Despite spending more than £330million in the transfer market, and signing some huge names, the team's playing style is yet to be clearly and successfully defined. What is the identity of United?
Core Players' Performance
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford, one of the team's key players, has had a disappointing start to the season after the immense success of last year. Despite being a pivotal player in Ten Hag's lineup, Rashford has only managed to score once in the first 12 games of the 2023-24 campaign. He is currently enduring an eight-match drought in front of goal at club level. Despite his poor performance, Rashford still receives the manager's backing and position in the team. Ten Hag states that Rashford's poor form is just a hiccup and that he will return to his prime level, he has even been deemed as 'lazy' on the pitch. Where do you stand with Rashford?Bruno Fernandes
Bruno has also been under intense scrutiny. His captaincy and leadership has been debated as have some of his performances. Fernandes often appears 'frustrated' when things aren’t going his, or his teams way, appearing to wave his arms in protest at the referees decision. This type of behavior from a caption and change a high work rate to frustration amongst other players on the field and off. Despite this, Fernandes remains the player most likely to make things happen in the United side, so you can understand the predicament.
Injuries
Manchester United's performance this season has been significantly affected by a series of injuries to key players. The club has had to deal with long-term injuries to six players, some of them key to the lineup. They include, Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, and Amad Diallo. These injuries have clearly affected on the club's performance this season, impacting the squad's depth and forcing changes in line up and tactics. The club is investigating any patterns behind their lengthy injury list to improve prevention in the future. And now, even Casemiro is rumoured to be injured.
Where does it end for United?
