Is Manchester United Back? And Will the United Strand Finally Get His Haircut?

The believers will tell you Manchester United is back. The haters will downplay the club's current three-win run, a modern triumph by their recent standards.

Such a story has taken on far more prominence due to The United Strand's ongoing challenge, which we'll get into below …

Who is The United Strand?

If you've somehow followed Manchester United and not heard of The United Strand, here's a quick recap:

Red Devils fan Frank Ilett began documenting his challenge on social media after Ruben Amorim took over at Old Trafford in October 2024; he vowed not to cut his hair until the team won five competitive matches in a row.

United have been in a difficult place for over a decade, but that task seemed doable when you consider last season's appearances in multiple competitions. A combination of Premier League, League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Europa League should have meant some easier games and favourable runs.

However, this is Manchester United. Things are not that easy.

Ruben Amorim's first full season has been historically bad. The team has only just managed two wins in a row for the first time, with Sunderland and Liverpool beaten in a return to form.

Last weekend's 4-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion made it three, putting Ilett closer to the scissors than he's been since he started receiving so much attention.

What's Worked During United's 3-Match Winning Streak

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Harry Maguire

So, how have United suddenly put three wins together?

There are many factors, but let's start with the simplest: The team is beginning to understand Amorim's 3-4-3 formation.

The Portuguese coach's setup is taxing. It relies on energy, positional awareness, and aggression. Those three attributes have been lacking from United's game for some time, partly due to a mismatch of recruitment to satiate the differing styles of multiple managers who have passed through the club.

It's overkill to say "Amorim didn't have his players," so United couldn't be expected to perform adequately. However, the improvement after adding Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko in the summer—three who definitely adhere to his style—is plain to see.

The presence of that trio is key to everything going well right now. Mbeumo's central runs are causing havoc, and Amorim's side looks far more cutting when he's able to get in line with the goal rather than staying wide. It forces an opposition defender to follow him into the middle, in turn providing Amad Diallo with more room to deliver from his auxiliary wing-back role.

Cunha's unbelievable dribbling ability is also helping Amorim's side tick. The Brazilian's effortless skill when beating multiple players drives the team up the pitch and has been priceless at relieving pressure. The added nous to wriggle out of danger is important in a setup that relies on individuals taking responsibility for maintaining possession.

Sesko's influence is going under the radar a little. The giant Slovenian has two goals and an assist in his last three starts, but, as with many of United's recent signings, there's a tendency to judge him harshly because of his fee and perhaps because of the club he chose to join.

The former RB Leipzig striker has an excellent first touch. He's able to get the ball under control and thread things together, boosting the team in two critical ways: He brings the other forwards into play, and he offers momentary respite to get his colleagues up the pitch.

Further back, Senne Lammens' presence in goal has removed a debilitating storyline for Amorim. Both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir have proved such liabilities that the opposition sought to target them in situations most goalkeepers would handle.

Simply put, Lammens is doing the basics, and that's just what the Red Devils needed.

What Needs to Improve

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Bruno Fernandes

The current form suggests this conversation has been swept away more quickly than it should. United still have significant issues that can be exploited in the coming weeks.

The biggest remains in midfield.

Amorim's insistence on two central midfielders means there's a sure-fire way to outnumber them in the middle. Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are hard-working, but they are prone to leaving gaps, with the former sitting and the latter tearing around to win the ball.

United's full-back balance isn't quite right, either. Amad is doing a good job on the right, offering the kind of busyness that makes this formation work. He has performed well in one-on-one battles against Cody Gakpo and Yankuba Minteh in the last two matches, but he is still learning to defend consistently. He's an incisive asset when pushing the opposition back into their box, though, which makes the trade-off worth it.

The same can't be said for Diogo Dalot on the left side. It's been a long time since the Portuguese full-back put together a run of decent form. Although quick and capable of a decent cross, he switches off at both ends of the pitch, and the drop in quality when compared to Amad is noticeable.

Will United Beat Nottingham Forest This Weekend?

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Manuel Ugarte and Morgan Gibbs-White

The chaos at Nottingham Forest has led people to write them off in this fixture. With Sean Dyche installed before Ange Postecoglou could even dent the manager's seat, it's clear owner Evangelos Marinakis wants to prioritise tightening things up over an expansive attack.

Dyche's team has done that well in his two games in charge. FC Porto couldn't break through in their 2-0 loss at the City Ground, and an excellent Bournemouth side struggled for rhythm in Dyche's first away match, despite the Cherries grinding out the win.

Forest did the double against United last season, beating them 1-0 at home and 3-2 at Old Trafford. This is the kind of away match Amorim needs to win to push on and really signal a change. Forest fans are expecting the worst at the moment and can be quickly hushed with an early goal.

How United deal with the natural swings of this match, away from the encouragement of their own crowd, will define whether we still have a story going into the next one.

And Will the Red Devils Complete 5-Win Streak Against Spurs?

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Micky van de Ven, left, and Casemiro

It's almost fitting that should United get to four wins in a row, Ilett's haircut will depend on overcoming Tottenham Hotspur away.

The Red Devils have an awful recent record against the north London side, having not beaten them in seven matches across all competitions, including last season's 3-0 embarrassment at home and the lowest point of the Amorim era: the Europa League final loss in May.

Thomas Frank has continued the recent tradition of keeping Spurs hard to read. They're third in the Premier League, out of the League Cup, and constantly flirting with success and danger. Their UEFA Champions League record sums it up nicely: unbeaten in three, with one win and sitting 15th. It could go either way.

Frank's midfield options are far more balanced and likely to dominate this match, with a combo of Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, Pape Sarr, and Xavi Simons offering a combativeness United currently can't outmuscle. Only Arsenal have conceded fewer goals than Spurs in the Premier League this season, so United may need to commit numbers forward to breach their backline. Amorim will need to watch the vulnerability when chasing back.

United have their work cut out to get Ilett in the barber's chair, finally. They may fall just short, as two away games at tough grounds is hard luck on this run. However, supporters must take heed that this conversation is happening.

It's far more promising to think about whether Ilett will get the chop rather than Amorim suffering the same fate after another loss.