When should we start worrying about Man Utd?

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Everything was set up for Manchester United to make a flying start to the Premier League season. This was, as Gary Neville would say, the banker, the time for the United Strand to disappear into obscurity with the Red Devils finally winning five in a row.

Except, it hasn’t been. Three matches into the Premier League season, including two against newly promoted sides and another against an Everton in turmoil, Michael Carrick’s men are still waiting for their first victory over the season. Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ late stunner for the Toffees on Sunday with the last meaningful kick of the game dictated so.

The momentum built from last season, which finished on successive wins, has disappeared in a summer of comparative inaction at boardroom level.

This should have been the easy bit. These were the games before European football kicked in, before matches against Premier League heavyweights arrived. Already United find themselves playing catch-up.

No one’s writing off the season after three games, but after a quieter transfer window than expected, which has left the squad light for a far busier season than last term, there is room for concern.

Man Utd gamble with quality over quantity

In terms of raw numbers, Carrick’s group survived last season in part because they had no European or cup football to deplete the squad. Over the transfer window, they have added three additional midfielders, but with Manuel Ugarte effectively ruled out for the campaign, in all practical terms it’s one.

Elsewhere, United fans don’t need reminding that no other meaningful business has been done – save the retention of Marcus Rashford after his loan spell at Barcelona, which is something the accountants in the boardroom, at least, are clearly not keen on as they seek to save money.

Benjamin Sesko gave a reminder of his importance as he marked his return with a goal at Everton on Sunday and represents the only true No.9 at Man Utd, but it’s the defence that looks particularly understaffed.

Current ETV

Benjamin Sesko

F (C)

Man Utd

Benjamin Sesko

F (C)

Man Utd

€56.2M

ETV Range

€50.6M - €61.8M

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Carrick has argued that he has options, that the left-back area is not reliant on Luke Shaw because Patrick Dorgu – ‘like a new signing this summer’ – can drop into that area. It was Noussair Mazraoui who he brought on to close out the match at Everton, though, and it was a plot that didn’t work.

In the heart of the defence, too, there is a question over quality if not necessarily quantity.

Two goals conceded in each of their first three Premier League matches of the season point towards United’s critics being right.

A big week on the horizon

United’s focus in the transfer window was on getting value for money from their summer signings, which they did perhaps better than any of the ‘Big 6’ Premier League rivals.

The fear was rashly overspending and ending in a crisis like Tottenham, who are not only winless, but goalless as well.

And there is no suggestion that United find themselves as poorly off as Spurs. A combination of early season rust and bad luck partially account for the Manchester side’s early struggles, but so too does that marginal lack of quality that one or two additional reinforcements would bring.

United’s board may have thought they were being smart by holding back on summer spending, but come January they may be forced to invest again to give themselves a chance of a Champions League return. And the pitfalls of signing at that time in the season are well known, with value particularly hard to find.

Beat Sabah in the Champions League on Wednesday and follow that up with victory over Manchester City next weekend and the world will suddenly seem a better place for Carrick and his squad, but if more points are spilt prior to October’s international break, anxiety building around the team will begin to feel justified.