Manchester United supporters had hopes the club would be fighting at the top of the table right early on this season.
Instead the team are just about keeping their collective heads above water to float into the top half, ranking in 10th position.
There is a long way to go, 30 more games, and United can turn the situation around. But it’s also important to reflect on where it is going wrong, and examine who has under performed.
Here is a look at the six most disappointing players for Manchester United early this season, and yes, it was tough to narrow it down…
Andre Onana
New goalkeeper Andre Onana had big gloves to fill as David de Gea‘s replacement. It’s clear to see the Cameroon ace is a big personality, and has many positive traits.
The big problem has been the mistakes. Ever since he was lobbed in pre-season against Lens, Onana has looked tentative coming off his line, getting caught in no man’s land.
He has also allowed tame shots past him, with the Manchester United pressure-cooker taking him off his game.
Onana will recognise he has not lived up to expectations yet. Instead of a weak point, he needs to become an asset.
Victor Lindelof
Remember late last season when Victor Lindelof stepped into the team on a regular basis and played some of the best football of his Manchester United career?
That seems like a long way off right now. Lindelof has played regularly this season amid injuries, but has not played particularly well.
The centre-back looks like a shadow of the player who performed so well last season, and as he enters his seventh season at Old Trafford, there are legitimate questions over whether this should be his last.
Marcus Rashford
There is no escaping this list for last season’s top goalscorer Marcus Rashford, who struck 30 goals in 2022/23.
Rashford currently has only one goal in 10 appearances this season to date, and appears to be losing confidence.
Figures show Rashford has attempted more shots at goal than any player in the Premier League this season, but has been inaccurate with his efforts. He is a player the team are looking towards to improve.
Casemiro
This has been a tough start to the season for Casemiro, who has been over-worked by a flawed tactical approach, but he has not been on top of his game either.
Casemiro has been targeted by opponents, and in the last game he struggled so badly he was hooked off at half-time.
United need Casemiro to get back to the dominant force he was last season, but there is a fear he is on an irreversible decline.
Jadon Sancho
Where do you start with this one? In pre-season there were hopes Jadon Sancho could kick on and really establish himself as a Manchester United player.
As it stands, Sancho has not started a single game, and has trained alone over the past month after a fallout with Erik ten Hag.
Even if you expected more mediocrity from Sancho this season, he has not even lived up to that. This has been a complete disaster and his career at the club looks over.
Lisandro Martinez
Manchester United hoped to get ‘The Butcher’ back after he missed the end of last season with injury. It has not gone to plan.
On the first game of the season, Lisandro Martinez looked to be trying a little too hard, picking up a needless booking, and then scored an own goal against Tottenham.
He re-aggravated an injury before poor performances against Brighton and Bayern Munich, before undergoing another operation to fix his injured foot.
Was he ever really fit? Manchester United fans are worried that Martinez, how long it will take to return at his best, because we did not get his peak version at the start of this season.
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