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Manchester United is on course to have one of their worst runs since the Sir Alex Ferguson era ended in 2013. The team is shaping up like a mid-table club at best. In the Premier League, they have conceded more goals than they have scored after 12 matches. Every bit of progress seems to be curtailed by a bigger defeat at the next turn. It has truly been a frustrating sight to watch United this season. Maybe it is not their year, but a slump to this extent is cause for alarm to all who love the club.
Several factors have come into play and contributed to United's dip in form. This is a club that used to terrorize defenses and on a good day, give European heavyweights a run for their money. Even their most encouraging performance of the season against Tottenham Hotspur ended in a 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford. The midway point of the season is approaching thick and fast so United can no longer rest on their laurels. The Red Devils have offered little in the Premier League and their mid-table position is probably what they deserve.
#3 Poor defending
One of United's biggest problems this season has been outright poor defending. This is a team that formed the second best defensive record last season. It was a proper Mourinho-like defensive unit. Now, the team is leaking goals from all sides and have nothing to show for it on the other end. The key area in United's defensive woes has been central defence. Other teams like Manchester City and Liverpool have the luxury of rotating their defenders.
Jose Mourinho, on the other hand, has to contend with a bunch of central defenders who have been shoddy this season. In fairness to him, he did want to bring reinforcements in the transfer window but the board pulled the plug on his targets. United has only kept one clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches. This is only befitting for a mid-table team at best.
#2 Mentality and performance
This season, it is clear that most of the players do not fully buy into Mourinho's system and are slowly losing confidence in the manager. Only one or two players are showing good work ethic on the field. Mental strength has also been an issue and it has affected the players especially in the first half. It almost has been a situation where United have to concede first to spark a reaction. Real title contenders hit the front foot without looking back. This season, the United players have ripped apart everything that the club is built around. There has been some element of ego by star players and the manager alike.
In the Ferguson days, this would not be the case. The players have not shown to be proper United players who fight for the club and play their hearts out. Many a time, United has been sloppy in matches with players showing little desire to contest balls and recover possession. It is like United players are stuck on first gear even against inferior opposition.
#1 Tactics
Mourinho has always set up his teams to take a defensive approach in matches. This season, it is no different. The only problem is that it has failed terribly and United have paid the price. It is hard for a man like Mourinho to admit his mistakes and evolve with the game. United has stuck with the defend-first approach all season which bore no fruits. Why not switch to attack mode as the club has traditionally been?
There is a lot of quality in the squad but Mourinho is certainly not getting the best out of his players. Paul Pogba, for example, is a player who should be unleashed to wreak havoc on teams. This means to simply let him control the game from an offensive perspective with reduced defensive tasks. A lot of United's forward players have been doing a lot of tracking back instead of pushing the opposition to their half. These kinds of tactics is a sure way of maintaining the norm, in United's case, a special seat outside the top four.
