Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has big decisions to make with two players in next six days

With nine games in the space of just 29 days, Erik ten Hag could not have envisaged a worse start to what promises to be a relentless October.

Manchester United's 6-3 drubbing at the hands of rivals Manchester City was the latest episode in a sequel of embarrassing results and performances that they have produced since the start of last season. It was another episode in which their defence capitulated against a club that is lightyears ahead of them, both on and off the pitch.

Before referee Michael Oliver had even blown his whistle to signal the end of the first half, large pockets of the away end were already sparse; United's fans had seen enough of Erling Haaland's brilliance and thought the rest of their afternoon would be better spent in the pub. United won the second half 3-2 but in the grand scheme of things that is irrelevant.

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Unlike in their last two meetings with City, United came into the contest with a degree of confidence running through their veins. The Brentford nightmare in mid-August was nothing more than a distant memory and they were targeting a fifth successive Premier League win. They have now been brought back down to earth with a considerable thump.

While you would be correct to point out that United have taken 12 points from the last 15 on offer, which is a very respectable tally, especially when you consider they have played Liverpool and Arsenal during that run, they remain a long, long way off being the finished product. The club has only just completed phase one of its rebuilding project and, as former interim manager Ralf Rangnick frequently drew reference to, it will take several transfer windows for United to be able to