Erik ten Hag knows Manchester United might be papering over some cracks

Manchester United made an awful start to the season and they weren't much better against Sheffield United at the weekend.

United won the game 2-1 thanks to goals from Scott McTominay and Diogo Dalot, but the performance was unconvincing and those unfamiliar with the Premier League might have struggled to pick out the newly promoted side.

Sheffield United have taken just a point from nine games this season and they have conceded the most goals in the league. They are relegation fodder and they are a side that United should be comfortably winning against.

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The game was Sheffield United's first appearance at Bramall Lane since a humiliating 8-0 defeat against Newcastle and it would currently be unthinkable to see the Reds record such a dominant scoreline when playing away from home.

United only scored more than two goals in an away league fixture once last season and that was against Manchester City, where the 6-3 scoreline flattered the performance after second-half goals from Antony and Anthony Martial.

"There are no easy games in the Premier League," is a cliché and that's especially true on the road, but a better performance was expected from United at the weekend and it highlighted some growing concerns.

"First half was not a good game. It was a poor game [on] our sides, you see it often after an international, but especially with us, with so many changes, every time with line-ups, the routines are not there," Ten Hag said.

"But especially tonight, in the first half we allow them to make it their game, we are too opportune, too direct, no good organisation. Second half, we make some changes at half-time