**Man United**round off their schedule before the international break with a visit from Burnley.
A fixture at **Old Trafford**against a promoted outfit should be a guaranteed three points, but this week was a reminder that nothing is certain for a club that have kept hitting new lows in the last 24 months.
Where does Ruben Amorim go next to try to steer the ship back on track with the Red Devils?
Does Amorim defend his approach?
Tactics are only as brilliant as they can empower the players that a manager is working with.
Amorim has put his foot down that he will stand by his 3-4-3 formation. It is a commitment that has frustrated fans, who deem him too defensive and too stubborn to see what is right in front of him.
If the results were reasonable, the manager might have an easier time backing his decision. However, it would not be a surprise if the squad have started to lose faith in their leader behind the scenes.
The last year has been dire. Amorim was in the dugout to watch Tottenham Hotspur win their first title in 17 years in the Europa League final, finishing in 15th position in the **Premier League**with a record-low 42 points and the fifth lowest tally of goals scored across the top tier of English football.
Three attackers have walked through the door for £200 million, but the Red Devils are still winless in the **Premier League**this campaign, and have only scored an own goal across three hours of action.
Now, they have bowed out of the Carabao Cup at a stage of the tournament reserved for clubs that are not in Europe. Amorim is far from the only man to blame for the failures of the institution, but he has been at the helm as the Red Devils have descended to even deeper depths in their identity crisis.
Yesterday, Amorim frankly admitted that "the players spoke really loud" in the first half of their defeat to Grimsby Town. He has a point that the formation is not the be-all and end-all of the issues **Man United**are dealing with. But might this humiliation move him to do something radical this weekend?
What positives can be taken from August?
Now does not feel like the time to talk about the positives for Man United. But the first two fixtures of the **Premier League**campaign have highlighted that there has been development over the summer.
Amorim spent the last seven months of the 2024/25 campaign in the dugout, but the schedule was not suitable to raise the standards of the squad's fitness. The offseason has allowed him to have the time to improve their fitness, and the starts in both league outings illustrated sharper physical conditioning.
In Mason Mount, the manager has a loyal lieutenant. The attacker has stayed fit since the end of last season and shown his strengths: smart movement, final third ball retention, and work rate off the ball.
The Englishman even filled in on the left flank for the final half hour on Wednesday evening. **Patrick Dorgu**should start in the position again, but Mount is likely to remain an integral part of the puzzle.
The midfield has been a blackhole, with Manuel Ugarte underwhelming and Kobbie Mainoo made to consider his future. But the spending spree on the offensive roster has helped offer individuality, speed, and strength at ball striking through the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
The ceiling for the club is not as high as some supporters might suggest, but there are enough pieces to produce something more out of this group. Amorim must find a way to maximise the talent he has.