da jogodeouro： The Red Devils have had a nightmare start to the season on almost every front but a few tweaks could see them quickly turn their fortunes around

da pixbet： Manchester United just cannot catch a break. Every match this season has been a tale of its own misery – even the ones they have ended up winning. After a run of three consecutive defeats Erik ten Hag is at the lowest point of his spell in charge and the goodwill shown towards the manager from the previous campaign is fast running out.

The manager has been beset by off-field problems including a spate of injuries, serious accusations against Antony and a feud with Jadon Sancho. And now more cracks are beginning to appear in the form of leaked reports of unrest among the squad.

However, it is far from the only time United have made a miserable start to a campaign and they have turned things around in the past. And despite the early doom and gloom, United can still turn this difficult season into one to remember.

GOAL outlines six ways United can stop the rot and get their chaotic season back on track…

Getty ImagesMake promising starts count

It sounds very simple but the easiest way for United to ease their troubles is to start finishing off the early chances they have been creating in matches and take the lead in rather than being forced to chase it. Although the results do not suggest it, United have actually started well in most of their games this season, particularly the ones they have ended up losing.

They had a dominant first half against Tottenham, with Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes each missing glaring chances at 0-0 and Antony hammering the woodwork just after Spurs had taken the lead after the break. It was a similar story against Brighton and Bayern Munich, with Rashford spurning early opportunities against the Seagulls and Christian Eriksen passing up a glorious opening at the Allianz Arena.

There are parallels with United's form towards the end of last season, when they failed to take advantage of strong starts at West Ham and at Brighton, and even in the 7-0 drubbing at Liverpool.

Then they lacked firepower up front due to Wout Weghorst's lack of quality and Anthony Martial's lack of fitness but their frontline is slowly coming together now that Rasmus Hojlund has recovered from injury and has put the ball in the net in his last two appearances, getting off the mark in Munich after his strike against Brighton was disallowed.

United have a habit of crumbling in matches once they face their first setback but if they can score the first goal their luck could well start turning.

AdvertisementGettyGet better in possession

Ten Hag's Ajax side loved to have the ball but the Dutchman has so far struggled to make United a team that are truly comfortable in possession and happy to retain it for long periods. His three predecessors – Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick – favoured reactive to proactive football and that was what Ten Hag ended up reverting to after last season's nightmare opening results against Brighton and Brentford.

But the coach needs to enact the vision he first had for the team and oversee the transition from counter-attacking to playing on the front foot, an idea he has talked about enthusiastically before. He also has the players to do it, especially after signing Andre Onana, arguably the best passing goalkeeper in the world and having two fine ball-playing centre-backs in Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane (when he is fit).

There is another reason for United to get better with the ball. The defeats to Brighton and Bayern, in which they had 44 per cent and 40 per cent possession respectively, showed how the likes of Eriksen and Casemiro no longer have the legs or breath to chase the ball for long periods.

In the absence of many energetic midfielders, United have little choice but to get better with the ball.

GettyPlay Mount on the right

Mason Mount was the first player United signed this summer but he has been largely unable to contribute after getting injured in only his second match of the season. The midfielder did not have memorable performances against Wolves or Tottenham before hurting his hamstring but he is now back in training and could return against Burnley.

And he has the chance to take advantage of Antony and Sancho's problems and claim the vacant position on the right of United's attack. After all, Mount had the best individual season of his career while playing on the right of Chelsea's attack in the 2021-22 season, scoring 13 times and contributing 16 assists.

Ten Hag was attracted to Mount due to his versatility but he needs to play in the same position regularly if he wants to be consistent and he could be the best candidate on the right of the attack, with more experience than Facundo Pellistri and more discipline than Alejandro Garnacho.

Getty ImagesGive Casemiro more support

The Brazilian was one of United's most influential players last season and his drop in form has been a real concern. He is now starting to look exactly like a player who is 31 and has spent the last decade fiercely competing at the highest level.

Casemiro still has plenty to give and his two goals against Bayern showed his quality as well as his determination. But he needs to be managed better. For starters, he should be given more opportunities to rest so he remains in peak condition.

He should also be given more support on the pitch and he needs a more energetic runner than Christian Eriksen, also 31, by his side. Sofyan Amrabat should play a key role once he starts playing and if the Moroccan is integrated well then he should be able to ease the burden on Casemiro. Prolonging the Brazilian's powers, rather than exhausting them, should be an absolute priority for Ten Hag.