Three Manchester United undroppables have four games to prove themselves

It is time for Manchester United’s figureheads to step up. Scott McTominay, the often-memed and at times, unfairly mocked outcast, dragged them out of the mire at the weekend.

Bagging a stoppage-time brace sent Old Trafford into raptures and ensured United avoided their worst start since 1962. The knives would have likely sharpened towards Erik ten Hag and his under-fire goalkeeper Andre Onana - who made another calamitous error in the first half - had McTominay not saved the day.

But let’s have it right: beating Brentford merely papered over the cracks of another terrible United performance. For 89 minutes on Saturday, the Red Devils' frontline looked impotent and bereft of ideas, a trait that has become characteristic of them in 2023-24.

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Pinning their hopes on Rasmus Hojlund, a new, young arrival billed as one for the future, remains a gamble. Or even Alejandro Garnacho, the Argentine wonderkid who starred from the bench to help United rescue victory from the jaws of defeat.

The trusted, United old guard must start performing if they are to make a fist of this season. Try starting with Marcus Rashford, the man Garnacho replaced on the left flank. What on earth has happened to him?

Can you imagine a time, at the start of the year, when Ten Hag would drag the 25-year-old off when searching for a goal? The Wythenshawe native has scored just once in 10 games across all competitions and looks a shadow of the player who netted 30 times last season.

Not good enough.

Or Bruno Fernandes, the man whose petulance could irritate just about any football fan. One wonder goal against Burnley has hardly