The Red Devils secured a scrappy victory over Villareal in the second Champions League group match after Cristiano Ronaldo hit a last-minute winner to salvage all three points.
It was a far from perfect performance from United as they were largely outplayed and found it extremely difficult to break down a well organised Villareal side.
This result should alleviate some of the pressure that was mounting on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heading into to it after losing three of the last four games, including the Champions League group opener and an early Carabao Cup exit.
United will need to be more clinical with the tough fixtures coming up as any more shambolic performances could prove costly in the long run.
It isn’t so much the recent results that are frustrating me the most, as contrary to the opinions of many reactionary fans, losing football matches is inevitable. It’s the lacklustre performances, inconsistent spell of possession and poor decision-making that raises concerns moving forward.
Here’s a look at some of the weaknesses highlighted in United’s recent matches with yet another relatively start to the season.
Disjointed Attack
A lack of attacking chemistry is inevitable when introducing two first-team forwards with Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho. However, with United having 69 shots in the last three games, I expect more than 2 goals to show for it.
This could be a symptom of many players looking to shoot from long range instead of picking out the right pass or working the ball past defenders into the box to capitalise on the chances created.
Set-Pieces
United’s most notable flaw continues to be defending set-pieces. This accounted for 30.6% of the total goals conceded in the last Premier League season and was the highest percentage out of any other English club.
Everyone was hoping that this wouldn’t be the case this time around with the appointment of Eric Ramsay, a new specialised set-piece coach and the arrival of Champions League Varane. However, United have looked even more vulnerable when defending corners and don’t look threatening on the attacking side of them either.
Midfield Dilemma
The gaping hole in midfield can no longer be ignored. United desperately need a central defensive midfielder who is press resistant and can make penetrative passes to shorten the time it takes for the ball to get into the final third.
It doesn’t matter how many world-class players there are in defence and attack — the weakness in midfield will continue.
Fred and Scott McTominay as Solskjaer’s preferred midfield duo isn’t a solid anchor for the heavy-attacking style of play this side hopes to pursue as the pair has been erratic at times and both have a limited range of passing.
I was excited to see Solskjaer go out on the attacking front against Villareal by opting for a 4-3-3. But, McTominay as the sole holding midfielder, with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes positioned on either side, seemed disjointed. The fullbacks weren’t any help to him either.
While Donny van de Beek hasn’t played his best football for the club yet, I do think he should be considered as a better option to play in the pivot alongside McTominay.
While these glaring issues will take time to overcome, a hard-fought win over Villarreal should build some momentum and give the team some confidence heading into the Everton game.
It isn’t unheard of for teams to have a bad start to the season. But, United will need to find their form as consistency will be the difference between a successful season or one in which they fall short.
The expectations are much higher this time around with the three new marquee signings. However, it isn’t fair to judge the manager until the season has come to an end.