It’s fair to say that it’s been a rocky start to the season for Man United and head coach Ruben Amorim.
There are plenty of doubts about this team, especially after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by fourth-tier Grimsby Town.
However, after three games, they sit 9th in the table, and above rivals Manchester City. So what have we learned from the fixtures? Read below as we go through the positives and negatives.
Negative #1 – Midfield is still a problem
Finding a partner for Bruno Fernandes was one of the priorities for the summer transfer window but United didn’t end up buying a midfielder.
It means Amorim will have to make do with an ageing Casemiro and a woefully underperforming Manuel Ugarte.
From what we have seen so far, this problem will have to be addressed in January, as there are no satisfactory solutions in the current squad.
Positive #1 – United are creating chances
According to Opta, the Red Devils have created 6.78 xG from their opening three fixtures, which is the most of any team in the Premier League.
Even if we remove penalties from the equation, Amorim’s men have accrued 5.20 xG – the third highest.
The main issue is finishing. United have only scored 3 non-penalty goals, meaning they have underperformed by 2.20 goals so far.