3 Biggest Worries for Manchester United's 2015/16 Season so Far

As if there could have been any doubt, current events provide stark evidence that Manchester United's worries are not real worries. The worries of sport should always be kept in their proper context. Football is a game, one which people take very seriously, for sure, but it's a game nonetheless.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let's take a look at three things that have been preoccupying United's fans so far this season.

Wayne Rooney's Form

Within the echo chamber of United fandom on social media, podcasts and fancams and everywhere people gather to discuss United, the debate around Wayne Rooney's form has raged all season.

It has become somewhat exhausting, as both sides of the great Rooney brouhaha dig into entrenched positions. On one side, fans ask why Rooney is made a scapegoat for poor performances from the team as a whole.

On the other, fans ask why Rooney is picked apparently regardless of form and was taken off the pitch before the 90 minutes were up for just the second time this season in United's most recent fixture, against West Bromwich Albion—the first having been against Ipswich Town in the League Cup with the game already won.

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Before the campaign, there was talk of a 25-league-goal season, playing as an out-and-out centre forward, per Chris Slater of Manchester Evening News.

So far this season, Rooney has two league goals in 11 appearances. It will take quite a run of form for him to hit another 23. He has not always played at centre-forward, though; according to WhoScored.com, he has done so in eight of his 13 appearances in the league and Champions League proper combined.

As covered on Friday, there are those who argue his relative lack of impact is down to the system and those who argue the system cannot be accountable for his poor form. Until Rooney snaps out of his funk or Louis van Gaal drops his captain, the debate will run and run.

Squad Depth

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson's debut against West Brom was testament to Van Gaal's faith in youth. It is, as has been much discussed, a hallmark of his career, and he has shown his willingness to supplement his senior squad with academy players during several injury crises since he arrived.

Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett were beneficiaries of this approach last season, for example.

That is the plus side of having a small squad. Van Gaal's other main approach to dealing with a small squad is to insist on his players having a degree of positional flexibility. Thus Ashley Young, a left-winger by trade, played at right-back against West Brom.

Daley Blind has been Van Gaal's go-to left-sided centre-back so far this season. Indeed, defence is the area that looks most vulnerable to an injury crisis. With Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia out for the medium term at least, the back four is only a couple of muscle injuries away from looking very threadbare.

The Style of Football

This is, of course, the biggest bugbear for most United fans this season. Like Rooney's form, it has been an ever-present discussion.

Frustration reached its peak during the CSKA Moscow game at Old Trafford, when the crowd's chants of "attack, attack, attack!" reached fever pitch at half-time and Van Gaal's decision to substitute Anthony Martial was openly booed.

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A possession-heavy approach can be a beautiful one to watch, as Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side proved. However, United's current version of that is a little too predictable for many fans' tastes, and many will be hoping things get more exciting as the season progresses.

Of course, this time last season, United fans were worried the opposition would score with pretty much any attack they had and were concerned that fourth place might be out of reach. Neither of those worries is ongoing, so things have certainly improved.

If further improvement follows, Van Gaal's United could yet be a force to be reckoned with during this season and the next.

Let us know in the comments section below which of these have concerned you and whether there are any you think we have missed. It is, after all, a game we all love and love to talk about.