What are the main problems Manchester United need to fix?

Manchester United have won just one of their first four league games and were dumped out of the League Cup in embarrassing fashion at home to Brighton on Wednesday. Alarm bells are already ringing loudly at Old Trafford given a sluggish, error-strewn start to the campaign. It's only mid-September, and he's only in his first few months as United's manager on a permanent basis, but Michael Carrick is already under serious pressure ahead of their trip to Fulham on Sunday. What are the main problems Carrick needs to fix, quickly, for United? Being calmer in the final third It might surprise you to hear that no team has had more touches in the opponents box than United through the first four weeks of the new season. They also have the second highest amount of xG with 8.3 (they've scored 7 goals), rank third in accurate crosses per match, rank fourth in chances created and third in accurate passes per match. All of that sounds good and points to a lot of positive things happening until they get to the final third. That is where things are going poorly aside from a purple patch of 30 minutes against new boys Ipswich Town. Carrick and his staff can only do so much and like last season, he clearly has methods to help get United into the final third quickly and that plays to the strength of United's squad. But then it's down to his top players to finish off the chances and we've seen Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, Matheus Cunha and even Bruno Fernandes overthink finishes and miss big chances so far. United need their experienced, reliable finishers to step up. For as bad as their displays have been overall, and especially defensively, they have created big chances but simply have to be more clinical. Whether that means Shea Lacey and Benjamin Sesko getting the nod in the coming weeks remains to be seen, but something just isn't clicking in the final third. Be more aggressive and commit to defending United have made the fewest clearances in the Premier League. They rank 16th in possession won in the final third per match. They rank third in highest possession per match. They rank 14th in total distance covered. There is a real lack of physicality about this United side right now. They look tired and confused when trying to defend individually or as a unit. There is very little cohesion, even though the vast majority of the team is exactly the same one which looked so good under Carrick for the second half of last season. United's defenders simply have to commit to defending first. Nothing more. Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez can win the ball in the air and on the floor all day long and are aggressive in the tackle and push high. The problem is that there are too many gaps alongside them and in front of them which is exposing the two central defenders and leaving huge spaces when they step up to fill them. United have to be more aggressive as an entire unit and press higher together and spring counters to create more openings for their talented forwards. It's all too disjointed. Forwards are pressing but midfielders aren't going with them, and then defenders are dropping off to protect themselves. It is a mess and United are losing their main attacking threat on the counter because of it. The triggers and timings are off. Finding the right balance in midfield Carlos Baleba being fit after the international break will make a big difference and United definitely need a destroyer to break up play alongside one of Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans. But the last few weeks has shown that Mainoo and Tielemans can't play in there together. Last season Casemiro was the ball winner and Mainoo then used it masterfully. That partnership worked and it allowed the attackers to assume aggressive positions to launch counters or sustain attacks. But so far this season United's midfield has been caught either too high or too deep. Tielemans has been run ragged. Mainoo has been excellent when he has got on the ball, but that hasn't been often enough as nobody is there to win it for him. New signing Andrey Santos has been off the pace and struggled as a holding midfielder. Baleba won't solve all of these problems but he will help with them. The Manchester derby last weekend proved how big of a deal it was for United to miss out on signing Elliot Anderson this summer. His energy, ability to read the game and break up play and then use the ball efficiently is exactly what United are missing. They're putting all of their eggs in the Baleba basket. It's not hyperbole to say their season depends on him hitting the ground running.