There's a lot not right at United at the moment and without being as close to it as you I just see a team that is difficult to see what they are trying to accomplish. The background noise hasn't been helpful at all and it is likely the big change they need won't come until there is new ownership.
On the pitch it's hard to get clarity around it. They can play some really good football one second and then just totally lose the plot the next. The injuries and selections haven't helped build cohesion as you mentioned.
There is one thing that totally baffles me when it comes to United, when things aren't going their way they seem to be bereft of good leadership and guys who can re-set the tone. But how can this be the case when you have Champions League winners like Varane and Casamiro in the side? I didn't love the choice of Bruno as captain but I thought he did a decent job in the role last year, how can leadership just evaporate? I grew up watching the Fergie 90s and 00s sides, they had leaders all over the park so seeing this is unheard of to me.
Speaking of Varane and Casamiro, they seem to be part of an ongoing trend of players that have regressed at the club like Lukaku, Pogba, Mcguire, Sancho etc. How many times has a player come to United in recent times and improved? Bruno? Wan-Bissaka maybe? You'd know better than me Roy but it doesn't look like a good trend from the outside.
It's a hard slog but one thing I wouldn't be doing is replacing the manager yet. October to December will be crucial.