Man United rank among the WORST for shots faced & giving the ball away

Manchester United somehow have the fourth-best defensive record in the Premier League but the stats underlying that are damning. And they're only getting worse.

Thirty-one shots Brentford had against the mighty Man United on Saturday. Thirty-one. It's a surprise Andre Onana's hands didn't fall off in that 1-1 draw.

The Bees' sum of 31 efforts was the highest they had had in one match in five years. A decade before, they mustered just 12 in a 0-0 draw at Oldham. A frustrating afternoon for their striker at the time, Clayton Donaldson.

This is only the tip of the iceberg and with clashes against Chelsea, Liverpool, and later Arsenal in the scramble for a European place, something has to change.

Mail Sport looks at the key problem areas for United - and offers a few solutions.

Only three teams have allowed the opposition more shots this season - West Ham (517), Luton Town (518), Sheffield United (525).

The Red Devils have been peppered with 498 shots and the rate of attempts faced is accelerating.

Since the start of February, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's beloved outfit have been bombarded with 220 shots - an average of 22.2 over 10 games and, you imagine, more shots than Marcus Rashford faced in his 12-hour tequila jamboree in Belfast in January.

By contrast, Manchester City have been miserly in giving opponents a chance, allowing just 238 shots so far.

And it's no coincidence that the top four teams in the Premier League all rank in the best four for fewest shots faced.

'But that doesn't mean United allow teams quality chances,' I hear you cry. 'United defend deep and let teams shoot from distance.'

And there is merit in that. If you permit a digression into the wonderful and bewildering world of xG, only Arsenal have a better record in