De Ligt, Ugarte, and Zirkzee unleashed: How Man United respond to the frustrations at the Amex Stadium

Manchester United were frustrated in their second league game of the season after starting well with a 1-0 victory against Fulham. On matchday two, United lost 2-1 against Brighton, leaving them upset.

The fact that they lost the game due to a late goal and that both Brighton's goals were the product of defensive errors served as a reminder of their struggles last season. We hope this is the only time United commits such a blunder.

However, how will Ten Hag and his technical bench improve the team's performance? They need to make drastic changes to their lineup, and here are a few suggestions.

A defensive lapse exposed United's defence against Brighton, resulting in two goals. It's time for Ten Hag to play his fantasy defence; when Matthijs de Ligt arrived, many described him and Lisandro Martinez as a dream defensive partnership. Most United fans assumed that their individual success at Ajax under Ten Hag's system, despite never having played together, would help them collaborate. Harry Maguire has been fantastic, but it is time for United to try a different centre-back pairing; we cannot afford to have a fragile defence against Liverpool on Sunday.

As I write this, Ugarte, as per the Daily Mail, is finalising his move to Manchester United; if he has a chance of starting against Liverpool, he should do so. Two games into the new season, it's evident that the Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro midfield combination isn't working. Casemiro's mobility and energy have decreased as age catches up with him.

The over-reliance on Mainoo to continuously cover for the Brazil midfielder is unsustainable. As anticipated, Ugarte will add the required toughness to United's midfield, which is great as it eases Mainoo's workload and boosts his development.
 

Marcus Rashford has failed to justify his selection on the left wing. On the right, Amad Diallo is gradually taking over; that wing appears to be stable now. Alejandro Garnacho, who has made two key cameo contributions in the last two games, has unquestionably earned the right to start on the left wing. It would be shocking if Rashford started over Garnacho against Liverpool.

Joshua Zirkzee has spent the last two weeks getting used to the demands placed on him at Manchester United. Against Fulham, he came on as a substitute and scored the game-winning goal. He was unfortunate not to score against Brighton, but his performance was still good.

Since winning the FA Cup, United has been playing with a false nine; while this style may have worked at first, it no longer works. Ten Hag should consider using Zirkzee as a striker during Rasmus Hojlund's injury absence—otherwise, why did he sign him?

In a clash with the Reds, the 6ft 4 Dutch striker will be an unpleasant presence to occupy Liverpool defenders. Additionally, his playmaking ability may help him maximise the team's performance.

From the Liverpool game on, we need to see the best form of this Manchester United team. And the Zirkzee, Ugarte, and de Ligt deals paying off could be high... I hope we do.

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