Manchester United’s slow start to the season can be attributed to a whole host of factors.

From injuries to individual errors there is plenty for Erik ten Hag to ponder during the international break. And while a 2-1 win over Brentford in the last Premier League match might have lifted spirits a touch, there are plenty of questions for the Reds to answer.

One towards the top of the list will be the defensive issues that have plagued the start to the season. United conceded four to Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener before Galatasaray put three past them at Old Trafford. Arsenal and Brighton have also scored three against United this term and the Reds have kept only three clean sheets in 11 matches so far this term.

It is a long way short of the standards set last term when the now departed David de Gea won the Premier League Golden Glove. His replacement Andre Onana has come in for plenty of criticism in the opening weeks of his United career and has been at fault for his fair share of goals.

But the defensive malaise is a bigger problem than the Cameroon international’s stuttering start. United have issues in midfield, which have been highlighted by a worrying trend of opposition players getting in behind and posing problems between the lines.

That, coupled with an ever-changing backline as a result of injuries, have not helped United’s cause. The back four has been defending narrow and consequently gaps have appeared in wide channels which opponents are exploiting.

Tottenham’s opener was an example with Spurs getting in down their right behind Alejandro Garnacho, who could perhaps have worked harder to track back. Luke Shaw was narrow inside and it allowed Dejan Kulusevski time and space to advance into the area. The Spurs man then pulled the ball back and Pape Sarr, who had arrived in front of Bruno Fernandes, slotted home.

It is a long way short of the standards set last term when the now departed David de Gea won the Premier League Golden Glove. His replacement Andre Onana has come in for plenty of criticism in the opening weeks of his United career and has been at fault for his fair share of goals.

But the defensive malaise is a bigger problem than the Cameroon international’s stuttering start. United have issues in midfield, which have been highlighted by a worrying trend of opposition players getting in behind and posing problems between the lines.

That, coupled with an ever-changing backline as a result of injuries, have not helped United’s cause. The back four has been defending narrow and consequently gaps have appeared in wide channels which opponents are exploiting.

Tottenham’s opener was an example with Spurs getting in down their right behind Alejandro Garnacho, who could perhaps have worked harder to track back. Luke Shaw was narrow inside and it allowed Dejan Kulusevski time and space to advance into the area. The Spurs man then pulled the ball back and Pape Sarr, who had arrived in front of Bruno Fernandes, slotted home.

The absence of awareness in midfield has been a key fault for United this term with Martin Odegaard’s equaliser for Arsenal, seconds after the Reds had taken the lead, profiting from space left by Christian Eriksen who drifted too deep and lost sight of the Gunners’ captain.

Brighton made use of it in their Old Trafford win, regularly getting joy down the flanks before feeding advancing runners who were not tracked properly, while Bayern Munich ruthlessly exposed that failing in the Champions League which led to criticism of Scott McTominay for his defensive commitment.

United and Ten Hag would be helped by having a settled combination in midfield and a defensive structure that remains the same from week to week. But the work-rate and football intelligence of United players should not depend on personnel.

Ten Hag is an advocate of effort and intensity and currently the Reds are falling short of the standards required to challenge at the top of the Premier League. They have been found wanting again and again and until they fix the basic errors blighting their game, it is hard to see an immediate uplift in results.