How Man United could reboot after its worst start in more than a half-century

So, what must Man United do to stop this skid? Here are three potential solutions: 

Fire coach Erik ten Hag: The standard solution for underperforming soccer teams around the globe is to boot the underperforming coach. Man United has leveraged this approach on multiple occasions, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and José Mourinho leaving the club against their will in the middle of  seasons.

Unfortunately, United may have its hands tied. The Athletic reported ten Hag — who was named manager in April 2022 — has 20 months remaining on his contract and would be owed upward of $18.5M if he were fired this early in the season. United's finances aren't as strong as they've been in past years, and such a payment may not be feasible for the club.

Beyond the clear financial constraints, United has few options for external coaching candidates. Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim was rumored as the club's top choice, but he confirmed he has not been contacted by the club. French legend Zinedine Zidane is also available but may not be interested in the "poisoned chalice" the Man United job has become.

Bench underperforming stars in favor of talented, young prospects: When stars enter rough patches and are thus required to compete with up-and-coming players, it can light a fire in them and lift the whole team. United could leverage this tactic to inspire older players such as Jonny Evans, Casemiro and Raphael Varane, but it requires having young players available. United doesn't have many up-and-comers.

Two players who are available, though, are Hannibal Mejbri and Kobbie Mainoo. Both are hungry, young midfielders with high development ceilings; both need regular playing time to develop into Premier League-caliber athletes. If United's midfield continues to struggle, subbing in Mejbri and Mainoo feels like the easiest and smartest way to help it improve.

Forget "ideal" tactics and focus on winning any way it can. Ten Hag's approach to winning is simple and dogmatic: play the ball from the back, mark opponents zonally and maintain constant forward movement. That's all well and good, but the United team he inherited hasn't proved itself capable of executing that approach. Many of United's conceded goals have come from poor defending at the back and easy giveaways in midfield.

Ten Hag, then, must make a choice: continue impressing the importance of his system upon his players or drop his ideas and focus on getting things done another way. If he continues down his preferred path, United may improve, but indications are it'll take months for the team to get comfortable. If he makes a change, he could improve things immediately, but he could also muddy the waters for his players and hurt them more in the long run.

What a conundrum.