Manchester United's grim defeat to Chelsea on Sunday leaves Jose Mourinho with just 14 points from his first nine league games in charge – the same number that David Moyes managed from his first nine games, and five fewer than Louis van Gaal's team managed last season.
With Old Trafford under a dark cloud following the worst Premier League defeat of Jose Mourinho's managerial career there are plenty of questions about his and his team's prospects this season.
"The truth is that this miserable performance exposed deep problems at Manchester United," says Paul Doyle of The Guardian. "Mourinho was accused by some purists of besmirching United's culture with his ultra-negative approach at Anfield on Monday but at least his team had an identity there. At Stamford Bridge, by contrast, United were a rabble without a cause."
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Players appear unsure of their roles and lacked fight at Stamford Bridge, he says. And that raises questions about both players and manager.
It was the sort of performance "that is commonly seen at the start of a managerial reign – or the end of one", he says, and warns: "Mourinho and some of his players do not seem to be enjoying their time together. Which makes one wonder how things will turn out."
The lack of conviction in United's squad is obvious, says Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph. "Anyone who has watched United regularly since Sir Alex Ferguson stood down will know that the old culture of responsibility-taking has broken down.
"The question then jumps out: what is Mourinho's plan, his target, for a squad who have grown accustomed to outlasting managers they are not enthused by. One thing is clear: there is a culture problem in this squad that another round of spending has not cured, any more than Mourinho's tactical prowess or his talent for negation."
It seems Mourinho's task is "far more complicated" than anyone predicted and many are already licking their lips at the prospect of a Mourinho "meltdown", says Hayward. That might not happen, however, and there is still an opportunity for the Portuguese manager to display his credentials as a builder and a strategist.
But does he have the skills to do that? "Talk to people at Manchester United and they say that this Jose Mourinho is not the one that was was advertised," says Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror. "There is a lack of spark. Less energy than the vibrant young coach who took the league by storm not only in the last decade but on his return in 2015... there is a feeling that Mourinho is no longer anywhere near the cutting edge."
Even if he fixes his defence, a top four position is the limit of United's ambitions, he says.
It all makes this week's Manchester derby an even more significant affair. Defeat would be a major blow for Mourinho, but it also matters for City, who have not won in five games.
City boss Pep Guardiola is not in as much hot water as Mourinho, but he is "starting to feel the heat" according to ESPN, and it should make Wednesday night's game "fascinating".
