Manchester United are enduring their worst start to a Premier League campaign since 1986, and a 1-1 draw at home to Leeds United did nothing to arrest that alarming slide.

Seven games into the new season, United have accumulated just seven points — a return that leaves the club marooned in mid-table and well adrift of the title-challenging pace at the top of the division.

The draw against Leeds extended a run of deeply underwhelming results that has raised serious questions about where this squad is heading under its current leadership. Goals are hard to come by, defensive solidity remains elusive, and the sense of direction that supporters crave is nowhere in evidence.

For a club of Manchester United's stature and history, sitting with a points-per-game ratio that mirrors the struggles of nearly four decades ago is a damning indictment of the state of the side. The 1986 reference is not merely a statistical curiosity — it is a measure of how far the club has fallen short of its own standards.

Leeds, visiting Old Trafford as opponents rather than a genuine title threat, left with a share of the spoils that will feel like a victory for them and a fresh wound for the home faithful. A point apiece does nothing for United's ambitions and everything for the doubts that have gathered around this squad.

With the Premier League season still in its early weeks, there is time — in theory — for the tide to turn. But the pattern of performances suggests something more entrenched than a rough patch. Another season risks slipping away before it has truly begun.