4 ways Manchester United could salvage their season

The Red Devils are undergoing a nightmarish start to the season, and it has brought upon them a wave of uncertainty. After a lacklustre pre-season and a dry spell in the transfer market, manager Jose Mourinho has been left with the task of revamping the squad after successive Premier League defeats to Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur.

Before things blow out of proportion, it is clear that The Red Devils have to set their priorities straight in order to stake a claim in the competitions they currently participate in.

Already behind in the league, and facing a tricky draw in the Champions League group stage, Jose Mourinho must find a way to get the Mancunian club out of the existential crisis they are facing at the moment.

Here are 4 ways Manchester United can salvage their season despite a poor start.

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#4 Positive momentum

The morale is at an all-time low

The sorry state of the Manchester United squad is not a usual sight. After finishing second in the Premier League last season, expectations were made for the squad to hit. Mourinho's constant negativity has seemingly affected the squad however.

The Special One's third season syndrome plague has indeed started showing symptoms, and it is ultimately up to the players to play football with positivity and intent in order to get results.

Considering their current state, the players seem to have forgotten what it is like to win. Generating positive momentum is key to their progress this season.

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#3 Competence in the final third

Alexis Sanchez is yet to click

Picture this - the defender wins the ball and hauls it over to the midfield to initiate a counter-attack, and while the players make a run, the pass is either made late or sent the wrong way to gift possession back to the opposition.

This summarises the attacks and chances created by The Red Devils so far. Despite possessing a plethora of talent and pace across the field, the passes never seem to connect, and there is a clear lack of vision in the final third.

To get the points, the goals need to be scored, and for that to happen, the decision making in the opposition half has to improve significantly.

#2 Revamping the tactics

It might be time for The Special One to head back to the drawing board

Jose Mourinho's style of football was revered during his early days as a manager. While the style has helped him secure several accolades over the years, it is evidently in a decline.

A squad such as Manchester United's is not exactly associated with The Special One's type of football, and this is why there needs to be a revamp of the tactics. The opposition continues to evolve (Chelsea for example).

Perhaps playing Pogba higher up the field and pairing him up with Lukaku could improve the team balance and create positive results in the long haul.

#1 A new central defender

Lucas Moura was all over Manchester United's defence during their recent fixture

Manchester United were in the eye of the storm during the fag end of the summer transfer window. They were in pursuit of a central defender, with Harry Maguire, Jerome Boateng, Toby Alderweireld, and Yerry Mina being some of the candidates speculated to join Old Trafford.

However, Jose Mourinho's enthusiasm was met with no response from the board. Now, the club has conceded 7 goals so far in just 3 games, with most of them being through defensive errors.

Despite having plenty of defenders at their disposal such as Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo, Chris Smalling, and Phil Jones, there is dire need of a solid centre-back at the moment, with none of the above options able to solve the defensive crisis.

Being at the heart of the defence, a central defender brings a lot to the table, and can be a huge difference to the side eventually. While rivals Liverpool faced the same issue last season, the signing of Virgil Van Dijk in January has given them one of the most compact defences in the league.