Matheus Cunha rescued a 1-1 draw for Manchester United at Craven Cottage after Lisandro Martínez’s own goal had given Fulham the advantage. It was a result that spared United a defeat, but it did little to calm the criticism that followed a second-half collapse in intensity.

The first half was lively enough without producing a goal, with United showing occasional fluency through quick passing and tidy combinations. After the interval, though, the level dropped sharply. That decline became the major talking point of the afternoon, especially after Gary Neville described the 15 minutes after halftime as the “worst” he’d ever seen his club play since he started watching the Red Devils as a 5-year-old in 1980.

Michael Carrick will take the point, but the performance against one of the Premier League’s early strugglers raised more questions than answers. United looked most dangerous when speed entered their play, yet that rhythm was too infrequent to control the contest for long.

Marcus Rashford’s display summed up the frustration. Having lost some of the momentum that followed his reintegration, the England international wasted several promising openings and never found the conviction United needed. His lack of intensity in front of goal matched the wider drop-off in the team’s attacking cohesion.

There were brighter individual showings. Senne Lammens impressed in the first half despite limited success with Fulham’s goal, while Bruno Fernandes came close to scoring when he struck the post. Kobbie Mainoo also maintained his standards before being withdrawn late on, and Cunha finished with a decisive contribution after earlier involvement in the goal sequence at the other end.

In the end, United left with a draw that felt more like a warning than a recovery.

Benjamin Šeško was absent from Manchester United’s squad for the trip to Fulham after Michael Carrick confirmed the striker is being assessed over an unspecified injury.

Carrick had managed Šeško carefully at the start of the season, using him as a substitute in United’s first four Premier League matches. The 23-year-old was then fit to start the club’s opening Champions League game of the campaign, where he scored in the win over Sabah FK, and he also featured in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Earlier this month, Šeško had sounded upbeat about his recovery, saying: “I think waiting a little bit longer was a great decision, and now it’s healed, so it’s perfect,” Šeško insisted earlier this month.

Carrick’s latest update offered little clarity on the situation. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “He pulled up after the game the other day with a little bit of pain, so we’ll have to see how he is,” was all the Manchester United manager would offer.

In Šeško’s absence, Matheus Cunha kept his place through the middle. That decision left some fans frustrated, particularly with Amad Diallo unavailable on the right and Bryan Mbeumo regularly deployed there instead of being used as a central option.

Cunha brings link play and combines neatly with Bruno Fernandes, but he does not offer the same direct running that Mbeumo provides. Even so, Fulham’s tendency to leave space for opponents this season means United may still find openings without Šeško.

There is also anticipation around Carlos Baleba, who has still not made his Manchester United debut. Signed for $93.7 million (£70 million) and unveiled almost a month ago, he arrived from Brighton with an ankle injury. His first appearance could be confirmed at Craven Cottage.

Manchester United spent the summer reshaping one part of the squad while leaving another unresolved, and the decision is already showing its limits. Michael Carrick had identified left back as a priority at one stage of the window, but the club never delivered the reinforcement he wanted.

United explored several options. A move for Lewis Hall was attempted, but Newcastle United would not shift. After Carrick clarified his preferences, the club also looked at Arsenal’s Miles Lewis-Skelly, according to Ornstein. Even so, attention soon moved elsewhere as United pushed through a third midfield signing of the summer, with their long-standing interest in Carlos Baleba finally paying off.

Ornstein later reported that a Deadline Day loan move for Manchester City’s Rayan Aït-Nouri was considered, but United were not willing to accept the obligation-to-buy clause City wanted. A loan for Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde also came under review, yet Barcelona were only open to an outright sale. By the time the window closed, the left-back issue remained untouched.

That outcome was not without context. Midfield reconstruction had become the main target after Casemiro departed, while Manuel Ugarte would likely have followed if not for the ACL injury he suffered at the World Cup. With Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes potentially the only senior midfield options, recruitment in that area was treated as essential, particularly with Champions League football returning and the schedule becoming more demanding.

The midfield rebuild still brought setbacks. A move for Atalanta’s Éderson fell through late on, and United also missed out on Matheus Fernandes and Elliot Anderson, both of whom joined other big Premier League clubs. Even so, the club redirected its resources and spent in the region of $200 million to bring in Santos from Chelsea, Tielemans from Aston Villa and Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Less than 10 games into the campaign, the lack of depth at left back is already obvious. Luke Shaw has missed United’s last two matches, Patrick Dorgu has been used there despite being signed as a winger last season, Harry Amas has already been introduced in the role, and Ornstein has also suggested Noussair Mazraoui as another option.