MANCHESTER UNITED introduced their 11th different defensive lineup of the season in a frenetic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa.

Only Lens in Europe’s top five leagues have worse defensive records than United, who have allowed in 30 goals over 15 matches. Their sole clean sheet came against Champions League rookies Sabah on September 7.

Despite facing teams that had players sent off, United still conceded goals after Manchester City and Tottenham were reduced to ten men.

This dismal record makes it all the more surprising that United did not recruit a single defender during the summer transfer window.

United aimed to sign Lewis Hall to challenge, and eventually replace, Luke Shaw at left back. Shaw has started five matches this season and has missed the last seven due to injury.

In total, Shaw has featured in 330 out of 664 possible games for United since joining in June 2014. His contract is set to expire in June, likely leading to his release.

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Shaw’s decline in fitness has forced Michael Carrick to utilize Patrick Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, and Ayden Heaven at left back, none of whom are natural left backs.

Harry Amass, who plays left back, has yet to start a match and was again excluded from the squad against Villa. He has already switched agencies twice this season and may depart in January.

Carrick classifies Dorgu as a winger, while Dalot and Mazraoui are both right backs, and Heaven plays as a center back. United has suffered four losses in the five games Heaven has started in, and he was substituted while they were trailing in the 3-2 comeback win over Roma.

Even though Shaw has only participated in a third of United’s games, their defensive injury issues have not been as dramatic as those experienced during Erik ten Hag’s second season. Ten Hag utilized 32 different defensive combinations in the 2023-24 season.

Heaven has missed three matches, while Martinez and Mazraoui have been out for two. Yoro has been suspended for one match, and Matthijs de Ligt has been included in every matchday squad since his return against Atletico Madrid on October 13.

Dalot and Harry Maguire have been present in every squad, and Amass has not faced any injuries.

The only defensive lineup Carrick has used three times consists of Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, and Shaw against Ipswich Town, Everton, and Fulham. They remain unbeaten, but Shaw has been substituted in all three matches, while Dalot has been taken off in two.

This was the same defense Ten Hag started in his second match as United coach, a devastating 4-0 loss against Brentford in August 2022. All four goals were conceded in the first half, marking one of United’s lowest performances in the Premier League era.

Carrick’s indecisiveness became more evident during the eight-match stretch between international breaks. Shaw’s injury following the 1-1 draw with Tottenham upset the team’s balance, yet this didn’t justify Carrick’s decision to deploy Heaven at left back, marking his first start in that position since his U21 days at Arsenal against Atletico.

During the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, Yoro was placed at right back while Dalot, a right back, started at left back.

Yoro has been utilized at right back five times even though a proper right back has consistently been available. He began there in pre-season but emphasized after the friendly victory over Atletico in August that he fundamentally identifies as a center-back.

The decision to place Heaven in the opening defeat at Hull was questionable, as he was outplayed by the experienced Oli McBurnie. Carrick preferred a right-footed and left-footed pairing, adhering to a philosophy his former manager Louis van Gaal strictly believed in.

Martinez, declared fit in time for the subsequent match against Ipswich, stepped in for Heaven. His recent criticisms of the management in Madrid and a red card at Chelsea have been compounded by the jeers from supporters when he appeared against Roma.

Carrick benched Martinez after two reckless fouls within 82 seconds that ultimately cost United against Stamford Bridge three days earlier. The predicament is that Heaven, the other left-footed center-back, poses an even greater risk to his team’s success.

Carrick’s hand was forced by Yoro’s dismissal against Atletico and Martinez’s red card at Chelsea. United conceded six goals during the two matches they were suspended for.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens has also begun to concede goals that should be saved regularly. With expectations heightened and scrutiny intensified as United returns to the Champions League amidst an unstable defensive line, Lammens’ true abilities may be coming under fire.

The board put the United goalkeeper and the defense in a difficult position. The defense required support, yet defensive midfielder Carlos Baleba didn’t arrive until the final weeks of the transfer window—and he was injured.

By the time Baleba made his debut on October 10, United’s downward spiral had commenced. His hamstring injury is expected to sideline him until at least mid-December, leaving United without an alternative option at the No.6 position.

United were never in pursuit of a center back last summer. Notably, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham have brought in new center backs in this calendar year.

De Ligt and Martinez were not available for transfer due to their injury circumstances. De Ligt’s only enforced start after nearly 11 months on the sidelines came against Como (where Yoro, Heaven, and Martinez were all unavailable), resulting in United’s heaviest defeat under Carrick.

A peculiar aspect of United’s defense is that four of the defenders were signed during the Ineos era. Yoro, De Ligt, and Mazraoui all joined in the summer of 2024, while Heaven transferred from Arsenal in the winter transfer window of 2025.

However, there has been no consistent strategic approach. Yoro and Heaven were predominantly club-led signings, while Ten Hag added former Ajax graduates who were under his management.

Next summer offers United a chance to revamp their setup. Shaw, Martinez, and Maguire could all face release. Dalot and Mazraoui will enter the final year of their contracts, necessitating at least one to be replaced with an upgraded right back.

The substitution of Dalot against Villa was met with cheers, and the Portuguese player was booed as he left the pitch. Mazraoui, clad in tights again against Villa, seems to be grappling with a significant World Cup hangover.

Dalot has played at left back numerous times for club and country, yet his recent performances in that position have been entirely unnecessary. His confidence issues are compounded by the fact he is seen as the scapegoat.

Yoro, Dalot, Martinez, Mazraoui, Heaven, and Amass are all currently on international duty. Maguire was substituted against Villa at halftime due to a back spasm, but if he recovers in time for United’s upcoming match against Liverpool next Sunday, he is expected to start.

Shaw has not been seen in training for a month, putting his chances of returning at Anfield against the odds, where more players may find themselves in mismatched roles.