There is no doubt that Erik ten Hag will have been very concerned by what he saw from Manchester United over the opening two games of the campaign.
They were incredibly poor in their season opener against Wolves, and while they would come away with a fortunate victory in that one, they would have no such look against Spurs last time out as they fell to a 2-0 defeat.
One or two brief spells aside, their performances across those fixtures were atrocious. They lacked cohesion in attack and steel at the back, while the midfield was an unmitigated disaster.
It is still very early days, but it looks highly doubtful that this team has improved on last season despite another significant transfer window in terms of money spent.
Graeme Souness has big questions about Manchester United players
This Manchester United squad still looks like one that is well short in terms of challenging for the biggest honours, with quite a few holes still to be filled.
Graeme Souness is certainly not inspired by their current crop.
Writing in the Daily Mail, the Scot named no less than five Manchester United players that he has major questions about, including the recently appointed captain Bruno Fernandes.
I'm mystified by the decision to make Bruno Fernandes captain.
I saw him at Anfield last year and he totally gave up at the home of their biggest rivals when it became clear United would get nothing from the game.
He's a talented boy, but there are big questions marks that come with him. He shows disrespect to his team-mates on a regular basis by shrugging his shoulders and pulling faces, holding his palms outwards to the sky when they fail to pick him out with a pass. He is just not captain material.
Last year I was criticised for saying that Casemiro is a steady Eddie in midfield, but I stick by that.
He's a year older and a year wiser in terms of English football so let's see if he's better this season...
On the wings, you look at Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho. I don’t think any of them are good enough to be United players long-term and take the club where they want to go as a giant of world football. They’re ordinary.
Fernandes is clearly a hugely talented player, but his attitude can be an issue at times. Casemiro showed some early signs of decline towards the end of last season, something that has continued in the current campaign.
As for the other trio, it is fair to that both Jadon Sancho and Antony have fallen well short of the expectations that were present when they first arrived at Old Trafford. Garnacho is a young player who is only starting out in his career, meaning he cannot be judged just yet.
Erik ten Hag is that he will be depending heavily on some of the players mentioned above over the course of the season, especially Fernandes and Casemiro. It will be interesting to see if they can guide Manchester United to a successful campaign, with the likes of Spurs, Chelsea, and Liverpool all looking improved in comparison to last season.
SEE ALSO: Mauricio Pochettino Forgot One Of His Players Existed During Chelsea Press Conference
