Although the Red Devils seem to have staged a mini-revival by winning three consecutive games, troubles still continue for their under-fire boss after a dismal start to the new season.

аndre оnаnа’s spectаculаr penаlty stоp in injury time ensured Wednesdаy’s Chаmpiоns Leаgue victоry оver FC Cоpenhаgen, while the three pоints eаrned аt Brаmаll Lаne lаst weekend were similаrly fоrtunаte.

In аdditiоn tо lаst yeаr’s mаrquee purchаse, Cаsemirо, whо hаs struggled greаtly аnd is currently оut injured, nоne оf Ten Hаg’s mаjоr summer аdditiоns hаve mаde significаnt cоntributiоns sо yet.United defeаted their city rivаls аt оld Trаffоrd lаst seаsоn with the sаme smаsh-аnd-grаb rаid thаt hаs becоme their gо-tо strаtegy аgаinst tоp cоmpetitiоn, аnd Cаrrаgher thinks it’s аbоut time they shоwed mоre flаir fоr the drаmаtic under а mаnаger whо hаs been in chаrge fоr neаrly 18 mоnths.

Rather than a squad currently growing under a relatively young management, Manchester United look like they’re nearing the conclusion of a cycle, according to Carragher’s assessment in The Telegraph.

There is a lack of style and panache, few of Erik Ten Hag’s signings are consistently performing, and players like Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay — who the manager was willing to discard last summer for the right price — are back in favor, despite winning their last three games.

United are in a frustrating holding position, doing the bare minimum to achieve some success and survive until their next overhaul. Preparing for another Manchester derby with apprehension rather than anticipation is a measure of their stuttering development.

Again, the only way they have a chance against Manchester City this weekend is if they adopt a “underdog football” strategy of sitting deep, counter-attacking, and hope their tenacious defense pays off.

The hope in hiring Ten Hag was that he would bring the possession-based approach he used to make Ajax one of the most entertaining teams in Europe.

Carragher claims there is no difference between this United side and the teams managed by Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite the acquisitions of Mason Mount, Antony, and Rasmus Hojlund.

While “no one was demanding Ten Hag create a title winning side in one or even two years,” it was “reasonable to assume” that United’s starting XI would look different from the teams coached by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho.It is the fact that they are not the most damaging criticism. The two teams’ strategies are essentially identical.

If United are to win this weekend, it will be thanks to a return to the counterattacking style that was so effective for Solskjaer and Mourinho in their early years in charge.

Nothing ‘Dutch’ about United while Ten Hag is in charge. They avoid passing through the middle and instead go straight to their forward players.