On Wednesday evening, Manchester United take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Erik ten Hag's defenders will come under scrutiny following their easy giveaways that led to Leroy Sane scoring his opening goal during the 4-3 defeat at Allianz Arena.

Ten Hag has only compounded matters by making Jadon Sancho an outcast following his reactionary outburst with regards to Ten Hag. Now he is training alone as punishment.

Why do we keep losing?

Manchester United and their Glazer owners have placed all their hopes in Erik ten Hag, hoping that his presence can revive past glory days and rebuild their club's fortunes. Otherwise, they have nowhere else to turn.

Summer transfer window additions have yet to bear any fruit for the club and current players have failed to deliver as promised, appearing stunted, unremarkable and lacking creativity. Vulnerabilities remain widespread on both sides of defence where Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof and debutant Sergio Reguilon have struggled.

Preseason can often be misleading and it is too soon to judge whether Ten Hag's new tactics will pay dividends; however, his intangibles have been positive and Bruno Fernandes embodies many of them: determination, aggressiveness and eagerness to learn - qualities Ten Hag has encouraged in the squad. Bruno Fernandes has become a leader.

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Why do we keep putting up with the criticism?

As United's recent results continue to slide downwards, Ten Hag is becoming increasingly aware that his work needs assessing. Ajax under Ten Hag was built from scratch while adhering to their same core principles despite having an entirely different team at its helm.

But yet he appears not to take his own players seriously enough when it comes to defense. That became abundantly clear during their 4-3 loss against Bayern Munich when goalkeeper Andre Onana allowed Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry too easily through on goal.

The defender did not seem particularly concerned, noting that his team was performing better during the first 25 minutes prior to Munich's goals. Still, he acknowledged that their defense must display more determination and stop conceding such simple goals - an opportunity they will get next weekend when visiting Burnley in Premier League play.

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Why do we keep putting up with the injuries?

Manchester United have recently found themselves with a much easier schedule, and victory against Mikel Arteta's high-flying Arsenal will ease tensions significantly. Still, their current mood pales in comparison to last season, after Sir Alex Ferguson left and their club spiralled further downward.

Erik ten Hag was appointed to arrest United's decline and restore them to top-flight prominence. With support from both the Glazer family and chief executive Richard Arnold, he can make tough calls like dropping Cristiano Ronaldo or offering Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford long-term contracts if they fall below expectations.

But their fundamental problem remains; defensively they are just as weak or even worse than they were at the start of last season, and in attack there's little creativity or flair - as evidenced on Saturday when Brighton scored from their first opportunity due to poor defending.

Why do we keep putting up with the scapegoats?

Ten Hag has made it clear that every player must earn his place in his side; favoritism won't suffice. As evidence of that point, he dropped Harry Maguire and Fred after their poor displays against Liverpool last season.

United's director of football Ed Woodward made the right move by acting quickly to sign Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez and Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malacia despite resistance from some senior staff members. Woodward is understandably concerned that his club hasn't found its way back up the rankings since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

But ultimately it will come down to his determination to overcome an inauspicious start and ensure United players believe they can compete for titles that will ultimately determine whether the former Ajax manager is the one to lead them back towards glory. A disappointing loss against Brighton only compounds doubts about whether his style of management is indeed suitable; wins against lower-league clubs should help build momentum and give fans hope at Old Trafford after last season.