A Bruno Fernandes goal on the stroke of half time was all it took to beat Vicent Kompany's Burnley side at the weekend and provide some much-needed respite for Erik ten Hag.
However, a 1-0 win over the newly promoted side won't be enough to forget recent defeats to Brighton, Bayern Munich and Arsenal that had some fans in Old Trafford frustrated with progress under the Dutchman.
There's still a long way to go this season but Ten Hag looks to have his work cut out to secure another top four placing - but anything less would be seen as a huge disappointment for the Premier League giants.
ManchesterWorld looks at whether the stats experts at Opta find reason for optimism from the Red Devils' performances so far in their predicted end-of-season table.
1. 20th - Luton Town
Luton Town look to have an almighty mountain to climb to stay in the Premier League. Photo: Getty Images
2. 19th - Sheffield United
An 8-0 thumping from Newcastle United won’t have boosted survival hopes at Bramall Lane. Photo: Getty Images
3. 18th - Burnley
Burnley look the most likely of the three promoted sides to stay up but the odds are still against Vincent Kompany. Photo: Getty Images
4. 17th - Bournemouth
Bournemouth will hope to be the right side of any upcoming relegation battle. Photo: Getty Images