One win in five games, out of the League Cup and 14th in the Premier League is exactly the start Man United could not afford.
United line up at City
Manchester United players are concerned by how swiftly the mood has changed at the club following two defeats from their opening four Premier League fixtures.
United lost at home to Arsenal on the opening weekend and were defeated 3-0 by Manchester City on Sunday, while their League Cup campaign ended with a humiliating penalty shootout loss to League Two Grimsby Town.
Dressing room sources say the mood after the derby has been particularly sombre, with United players ruing a “missed opportunity” against a City side that had lost their previous two games against Tottenham and Brighton.
The United squad had been upbeat about the prospects of a successful season following a harmonious pre-season tour of the United States, when they were primarily based in Chicago.
But their season has already spiralled with one win out of five games, which was secured via a 97th-minute penalty against promoted side Burnley three weeks ago.
Uncertainty over the goalkeeping situation has heavily contributed to United’s fraught start, with Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana guilty of errors that led to goals in the losses to Arsenal and Grimsby.
At the opposite end, £73.62million striker Benjamin Sesko is without a goal after five games and United have managed one goal from open play in six hours in the Premier League.
United are 14th heading into their Saturday tea-time encounter with Chelsea at Old Trafford and they play away to Brentford and host Sunderland before the October international fortnight.
Pressure is mounting on head coach Ruben Amorim, who has presided over a dismal eight wins from 31 Premier League matches since he took over on November 11. Five of those victories were against current Premier League sides.
United are bottom of a 17-team table of ever-present top flight sides dating back to Amorim’s first match in charge at Ipswich Town on November 24.
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