Five points from five games is not the start Manchester United had hoped for. Their performances have been sub-par, and the results reflect this.
Something needs to change, and the international break gave Michael Carrick the opportunity to rethink several areas, starting with his attack.
The trio of Bryan Mbeumo , Matheus Cunha and Marcus Rashford has failed to click, and the Red Devils have suddenly lost the attacking flair that made them so dangerous in front of goal last season.
Two factors are being linked to these struggles: the return of Rashford and a run of injuries. Both have forced Carrick to tweak his attacking set-up, and the changes have cost United.
Mbeumo was influential when playing close to goal . He is now being pushed out to the touchline, and because he is not a tricky one-on-one winger, he influences games less and carries far less threat.
Then there is the Cunha false-nine experiment, designed to fit Rashford in on the left. Game after game, everyone but Carrick has seen that Cunha does not threaten in the role. He drifts everywhere except the opposition box, which gives defenders an easy afternoon against United.
After the break, there was a clamour for Carrick to return to his trusted attacking trio: Cunha on the left, Mbeumo as the striker and Amad on the right.
Reports that Amad was back in training made that tweak look possible. However, a worrying update has now emerged.
On Friday, United hosted their Ineos sister club Lausanne-Sport in a closed-door friendly. According to reputable United source Sully: "Amad wasn't involved in the Lausanne game today."
The friendly was meant to help players lacking match fitness, such as Amad, Carlos Baleba and Matthijs de Ligt, sharpen up ahead of a key role against Spurs.
Amad's absence suggests his return may be further away than many had hoped. Baleba and De Ligt, who both featured, now look more likely to play a significant part against Tottenham than the Ivorian.
It is a big blow if Amad misses out next Saturday, because he offers exactly what the entire front line is missing: one-on-one skill, control of space, and balance. The 20-time English champions may have to wait longer to see their strongest attacking combinations.
With Amad likely to miss the Spurs game, Carrick should really consider starting Shea Lacey on the right wing, with Mbeumo up top and Cunha on the left.
