There's a worrying sense of Groundhog Day creeping into the Premier League – none more so than for Manchester United.
At the summit, a Rodri-less Manchester City look as imperious as ever, while at the bottom, the three newly promoted sides – all of whom are yet to record a win – appear destined for the drop.
As for Erik ten Hag's men, the start to the current campaign has been little different from the last few years, with the Red Devils already playing catch up after winning just one of their opening three league games.
Season
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
2022/23
2-1 loss vs Brighton (H)
4-0 loss to Brentford (A)
2-1 win vs Liverpool (H)
2023/24
1-0 win vs Wolves (H)
2-0 loss vs Spurs (A)
3-2 win vs Forest (H)
2024/25
1-0 win vs Fulham (H)
2-1 loss vs Brighton (A)
3-0 loss vs Liverpool (H)
It would be unfair to write the Dutchman off so soon into the new season, yet in this City-dominated era, a poor start is simply terminal for any slim hopes of a title challenge.
Not that anyone is expecting United to compete for the league crown, yet with over £600m spent under Ten Hag's watch, you'd like to think that the club would be progressing toward the end of their 11-year barren run. As evidenced on Sunday, however, they couldn't be any further away.
In truth, that 3-0 loss to a dominant Liverpool side was a humbling and bordering on embarrassing one for the former Ajax boss, with his opposite number and compatriot, Arne Slot, already fashioning a serious-looking outfit after only three games in charge. Ten Hag, meanwhile, is now into his third season.
With six of his signings in the starting lineup at Old Trafford, there's no getting away from this being a Ten Hag team, with the 54-year-old – who was, for most, rightly kept on following the FA Cup final – inevitably feeling the heat having come so close to the axe over the summer.
It's fair to say that INEOS' public dalliance over the manager's future has not been helpful, with the one-time Utrecht coach – who also saw his backroom staff ripped up this summer – now looking like a dead man walking.
There is still a chance to turn things around, although for one Ten Hag's key lieutenants, Casemiro, time already looks to be up…
Casemiro's game in numbers vs Liverpool
There was a real sense of irony that arguably the difference in the game came down to the two men operating in the number six berth for their respective sides, with one of the few ex-Ajax players not to have reunited with Ten Hag – in the form of Ryan Gravenberch – stealing the show in the centre of the park.
While the Netherlands international looked composed and controlled as the heartbeat for the visitors, Casemiro was anything but, with the Brazilian hauled off at half-time following two costly errors in possession.
Stat
Gravenberch
Casemiro
Minutes played
90
45
Touches
61
45
Pass accuracy
84%
70%
Key passes
0
0
Big chances created
0
0
Ground duels won
6/9
2/5
Aerial duels won
1/1
1/1
Dribbled past
0
2
Successful dribbles
1/2
1/1
Error leading to goal
0
2
Possession lost
11x
14x
Having fired an aimless pass in the direction of Kobbie Mainoo for the game's opener, the former Real Madrid great then meekly ceded the ball to Luis Diaz for the away side's second, collapsing onto the ground in the slim hope of earning a foul.
A key pass is a pass that directly leads to a shot at the opponent's goal.
Despite looking leaner and sharper against the likes of City and Fulham in the early weeks of the campaign, this latest performance was a reminder of just why the club were so keen to move him on earlier this window, with only a waning interest from Saudi Arabia having prevented his departure.
There is perhaps a sense that the 32-year-old is merely being left exposed by the manager's tactics, although not even the harshest Ten Hag critic could blame the Dutchman for Casemiro looking so utterly panicked in possession.
What is worrying is that with new man Manuel Ugarte potentially set to take "months" to get up to speed – as per Ten Hag – the five-time Champions League winner may have to remain in the side due to a lack of alternatives, with Christian Eriksen the only other fit, senior midfielder, outside of Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes.
That lack of depth is an issue on its own, as too are Casemiro's lingering woes, although the one-time Porto man's shortcomings could be masking an even bigger problem that is brewing at the Theatre of Dreams – the lack of quality and consistency in attack.
Man Utd's bigger problem than Casemiro
Casemiro was culpable for gifting the lead to the Merseysiders on Sunday, but it is worth remembering that it is goals that win games – and United just can't muster any.
Last season, the Red Devils finished with a negative goal difference for the first time since 1989/90, having scored just 57 times in the top flight, ranking them tenth in the division in that regard.
Those shortcomings in front of goal don't look to have changed even after the £36.5m addition of Joshua Zirkzee this summer, with the Manchester side only netting three times in four games so far this term.
While the loss of new number nine Rasmus Hojlund to injury in pre-season hasn't helped matters, the young Dane is himself hardly a surefire guarantee of goals, even despite ending 2023/24 as the club's top scorer with 16 in all competitions.
Even with the caveat of the former Atalanta man not being named on the bench at the weekend, the distinct lack of attacking options who could come on and change the game was undoubtedly concerning, with Ten Hag left with a trio of Amad, Antony and teenager striker, Ethan Wheatley.
In the case of Wheatley, the club's 250th academy debutant is yet to score for the first-team, while for Antony, there had even been rumours of a late exit on deadline day, with the £86m man continuing to stink the place out having registered just 16 goals and assists in 83 games for United to date.
Dan James, for instance, chalked up 18 goal involvements in 74 games.
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As for Amad, while excitement is brewing over the Ivorian starlet – having scored against Brighton and Hove Albion – the 22-year-old remains a player of potential rather than guaranteed, consistent output, after making just 25 first-team appearances for the club in three-and-a-half years.
The lack of experienced attacking depth has only served to heighten the pressure surrounding the likes of Marcus Rashford, although on the evidence of the season so far, the Englishman may never get close to those highs of 2022/23 again, where he netted 30 times across all fronts.
Simply looking devoid of confidence – as shown by his unwillingness to take on Ibrahima Konate in the second half – the once-breathtaking winger is now a sad sight, with Ten Hag needing to take him out of the firing line.
In his defence, however, Rashford could well have had two assists on Sunday had the aforementioned Zirkzee taken his chances, with the 23-year-old heading straight at Alisson, before guiding an effort wide soon after.
After scoring only 12 times in Italy last season, the 6 foot 4 marksman is arguably not the out-and-out goalscorer that was required, ensuring much will once again have to be asked of young Alejandro Garnacho, albeit with even the dynamic Argentine 'only' netting ten times in 50 appearances in 2023/24.
Not that there should have been any doubts over dispensing with Jadon Sancho – who only scored 12 times in 83 games for the club – but it would seem as if United have left themselves rather short in the attacking ranks, with it difficult to see just where the goals will come from this season.
At the weekend, Liverpool, by contrast, had the likes of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo to call upon off the bench – with new man Federico Chiesa watching on – while even Sancho's new side, Chelsea, look to have a wealth of attacking talent at their disposal, with the likes of Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson.
Quite how United have been left in this predicament after their mammoth spending in recent times is rather headscratching, with the continued failure to fire likely to ensure that we are in for another long season at Old Trafford.
Fingers crossed that things truly ignite following the international break, but this all feels very much like the beginning of the end, rather than the start of something new for Ten Hag under the INEOS regime.
Let's hope he can prove us wrong…
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