After beginning the season with four consecutive wins, Manchester United have followed with three losses on the trot. All the early-season optimism has suddenly been dampened. The club, the players and the manager have been struck with a strong reality check. United are fallible and are capable of going on winning and losing streaks.
Many predicted at the beginning of the season that United would pose a serious challenge for the Premier League title. Some notable pundits even claimed United can win the title. After analysing the squad and manager, I predicted that United would finish second. While there isn't a big sample size of matches to determine where the team is at the moment, it is enough for some to raise questions aplenty.
Today, every result is over-analysed and huge predictions are made on the basis of one match. United have lost three in a row, two of them in the Premier League, and promptly there's a feeling that the title is already out of reach. Especially since rivals Manchester City have taken a six-point lead after only five matches. With City playing the best football so far, it is fair to assume others have some catching up to do – in terms of both the football and the results.
Positive start
Jose Mourinho started his Manchester United career with a 2-1 victory in the Community Shield against defending Premier League champions Leicester City. Then, they pulled off impressive 3-1 and 2-0 wins against Bournemouth and Southampton, respectively, to begin their campaign positively. United needed a last-minute winner to beat a stubborn Hull City 1-0 to make it three wins in three.
The club's famous never-say-die attitude was praised as teenage sensation Marcus Rashford scored that goal against pre-season relegation favourites Hull. But not much was discussed about United's failure to score earlier and multiple times as well against a squad with only 14 fit senior players at the time. Winning is the only thing that matters and Mourinho specialises in that attitude.
Negative results
United's first real test came up against local rivals Manchester City. The team, and Mourinho, came up short as City and Pep Guardiola triumphed 2-1 at Old Trafford. City deserved the result, but United gifted them the first goal as makeshift centre-back Daley Blind froze to let Kevin De Bruyne run past him and coolly slot the ball in the bottom corner.
United and Mourinho felt aggrieved as they felt City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo should have seen red for a foul on Wayne Rooney early in the second half. But in this case, the football and the result were not up to the mark. They then lost 1-0 to Dutch side Feyenoord away in the Europa League. There was a clear case of offside in the build-up to the only goal of the match, but the result is what made the headlines. Everyone thought United would fire on all cylinders when they travelled to face Watford. But a lacklustre display saw them lose 3-1 on Sunday.
Questions raised
Manchester United and Jose Mourinho are box office candidates whether rival clubs, supporters and managers want to accept it or not. Now that they are together in the same League, the frenzy is even more intense. When they win, bold and positive predictions will be made, but when they lose, questions will be raised.
Right now, everything at United – club captain Wayne Rooney's inclusion, world record signing Paul Pogba's position, Mourinho's team selection – is being questioned. There is a general consensus that Rooney slows down play far too often, and needs too much time to pass the ball around. In the frenetic pace of the Premier League, he will not get that extra time.
Pogba is an attacking midfielder, but has been deployed mostly in a two-man midfield with Marouane Fellaini. Mourinho likes his teams to attack from wide positions and it seems he has instructed the Frenchman to be more compact and rigid in his space.
Defensive and refereeing mistakes
The defence on the whole is making mistakes uncharacteristic to Mourinho's teams, whether they be individual or collective. United have not been helped by referees either. Football is a game of fine margins, and small errors – by players, manager or referee – can influence results in a big way.
All said, United have not played to their potential and it does not seem like Mourinho knows his best XI. He is trying to mix and match, but hasn't settled on an ideal formula, yet.
No need to panic, yet
The Premier League is such that any team can beat any other. City have been the best so far, but aren't wholly untouchable. All the other major contenders, barring Everton and Tottenham, have lost matches. So, United need not panic, with only five matches out of 38 played.
They are capable of improving their performances and in turn their results as well. They have some tough matches coming up, starting with Saturday's clash against defending champions Leicester City, and a couple of victories can change the perception again.