With a tricky trip to the Czech Republic for a Europa League tie against Viktoria Plzen on Thursday. Then the derby at Manchester City on Sunday. It's fair to say the beginning of the Ruben Amorim era is not going to plan. Or better yet, the Ineos era isn't going to plan...
And now Dan Ashworth is gone. United's sudden media release this morning described the parting as a "mutual decision", though local sources are insisting the move was "instigated" by the club. Certainly, Tribalfootball.com can say Ashworth looked ashen-faced as he walked with head bowed through the media gathering before Ruben Amorim's post-match presser last night. Clearly chastened by the manner of the defeat. Ashworth did not make eye contact as he strode past members of the press. Though no-one had any hint of what would transpire this morning.
And you fancy Ashworth was in the same boat. Again, local sources are saying this was club driven, It certainly has Sir Jim Ratcliffe's fingerprints all over it. The co-owner would've had to sign off on the decision to part ways.
Of course, it's a surprise. A shock. After all, United and Ratcliffe had fought hard to prise Ashworth away from Newcastle last season. Demands from the Toon of compo in the region of £20-30m was eventually talked down to around £3m. But the bitterness between the two clubs remains and led to analyst Luke Dickson being made a scapegoat as his switch to Tyneside was delayed by United in a tit-for-tat response.
But after all that. All the nastiness. The barbs. The price demands. United and Ratcliffe have effectively admitted they made a mistake. Another one. Just weeks after sacking Erik ten Hag and clearing out his newly-assembled backroom team, the top brass have now dumped their newly-hired technical director. If this were the Glazers...
But it's not. It's Ratcliffe. Ineos. And it's a shambles. Months into handing Ten Hag a new deal. Months into building a new backroom team around him. This lot blew it all up. And now the same has happened with their technical director. Ashworth was put in place as the key football man at the club. He answered to Berrada, sure, but every member of the football staff and squad reported to him. He had full control of transfers. Of hiring and firing. And now, just months after putting this structure in place, United have to start again.
From the outside looking in, it does appear an absolute shambles. Though for this column, we did question whether Ashworth could handle the job. Of course, he was hyped-up by the local press and pundits. But a cv of Newcastle, Reading and the FA wasn't the stuff of a Txiki Begiristain or a Jose Angel Sanchez. And there were doubts about whether this grounding had him prepared for the almost unique demands United confront in the transfer market.
But there's been wins under Ashworth. Sekou Kone is a genuine prospect. Chido Obi-Martin too. And as this column has argued this season, Ashworth's deals for Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Josh Zirkzee and Ugarte all other promise and great potential.
But glass half full and it can be argued that Ratcliffe and co saw issues and immediately acted. Rather than chug along and hope for the best, they've been decisive and made a needed change immediately.
But, to be fair, that's a stretch... because this lot have previous, as the Ten Hag contract signing and then sacking proves. The place wobbling. It's unstable. And with a new manager demanding a new way of playing, it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Indeed, with City away next in the league, then a League Cup quarterfinal at Tottenham, how will things look if current form persists? Perhaps Amorim should be looking over his shoulder...
With Ten Hag, there was a feeling of inevitability about it. But this is out of the blue. And Ashworth's departure does suggest major problems inside the club. A power struggle? A disagreement over approach or direction? We're sure to learn more in the coming days.
But as the club's beleaguered staff are letting us know, Manchester United isn't a happy place at the moment. And Ratcliffe and his Ineos team are the main "instigators".