Three positives from Manchester United’s miserable start to the season

It does take a true optimist to see defeat in the eye and still manage to salvage hope from it. Such an endeavor may seem foolhardy for a Manchester United supporter and yet positives can be salvaged even in such situations.

Here are the three possible positives to take away from what has not only been United’s worst start in recent memory but one that has broken decade-long records.

1. Rasmus Hojlund

When the club signed Hojlund in the summer, there were plenty of doubters about the forward’s form given his age. While injury robbed supporters from initial game time from the striker, his recent outings have been impressive. However, they have just not mapped the correct results.

The Champions League is a great case in point. Over the course of two games against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray, the forward has netted three goals. This is an impressive statistic for a starlet in the grandest stage of them all. If given enough support, the technically secure striker can certainly make a remarkable mark.

2. Mason Mount

The club’s new number 7 was certainly divisive when he was first unveiled but over the course of this bad spell, he has given Erik ten Hag a positive way with which to lineup his midfield options.

This best indicator of the same is the means with which he shared the creative load with Bruno Fernandes. This also enables the Portuguese star to focus more on trying his own attempts at goal. Likewise, the former Chelsea man is also adept at absorbing pressure and progressing the play forward, thereby freeing up space. In this sense, his knack for covering ground when out of possession is a must-need PL tactic.

3. United are languishing in creative ways

While it is easy to blame this crisis on a second-season curse, the truth of the matter is that ten Hag’s men haven’t been playing that bad overall. The goals they have conceded are almost always spectacular efforts on part of the opposition rather than silly errors.

While individual errors, particularly that from Andre Onana, can certainly be to blame, there is no denying the reality that the players have not given up on their gaffer. Moreover, the unprecedented injury crisis at hand is one where many of the side’s current woes sit. It may not be entirely biased to suggest that a little bit of luck and consistency could lift the club from this horror spell.