When a team with the stature of Manchester United has their worst start to the Premier League since 2007, steps have to be taken. Already the knives are out, with talk of them missing out on a coveted Champions League spot for a second year running, despite having played only three games, under a new manager trying out a new system.

However, it should be noted that United managed to recover from back to back draws against Reading and Portsmouth, as well as a loss to Man City, to win the 2007-08 Premier League trophy, two points above Chelsea in second place. Oh, and they won the Champions League.

But the class of 2014 is certainly a different beast to the Cristiano Ronaldo inspired team of yesteryear, despite remnants of Alex Ferguson's last title-winning side at the club. 

After floundering to a 7th place finish last season under the disastrous tenure of David Moyes, they didn't even qualify for the Champions League, but this should allow the team to focus on the Premiership this term, even with their poor start taken into account. 

To help with the cause, Radamel Falcao is their latest big name summer signing, in for the season on loan from Monaco on a reported wage of £346,000 per week. There's no doubting the talent of the Columbian frontman, but most of United's recent problems have stemmed from a lack of defensive solidarity. 

With Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck leaving the squad for Real Madrid and Arsenal respectively, they obviously needed a new striker to share duties with Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie - and Falcao fits the bill perfectly (especially when you consider that Rooney and RVP hardly played together last season due to injury).

On prior form, the team will probably continue to struggle defensively all season, despite signing Holland’s Daley Blind to provide cover from deep in midfield or at left-back. With rumours of a deal for Dortmund’s World Cup winner Mats Hummels turning out to be nothing more than a pipe dream, United’s centre back pairing (or trio) will probably consist of Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, at least until the January transfer window.

United legend Phil Neville defended the Falcao transfer today, saying; "Who are the centre-backs out there that United could buy today? There are not many.

"Hummels is captain of Borussia Dortmund and they said he wasn't leaving. United tried for (Thomas) Vermaelen, who went to Barcelona, and ended up with Marcos Rojo who was probably second choice."

He does have a point. It was only a few months ago that Paris-Saint Germain paid a world-record fee for a centre-back, £50m for Chelsea’s maverick Brazilian David Luiz. Would he really shore up the defence any better than Evans, Jones and company, given his record in the EPL?

Even Thomas Vermaelen, who by all accounts is a great defender, has struggled with poor form and injuries in the past few seasons. Who can blame him for taking a five-year deal at Barcelona, especially at 28? The slower pace of sunny Spanish football will always be a major pull, and it’s a far cry from marshalling a rickety back three on a blustery winter night in Hull.

Perhaps there is a lack of high calibre defenders on the market, but that doesn’t excuse the mediocre performances of the current crop. Nonetheless, teams are always judged by their performances over the whole season, and with only three games played, they still have time to turn it around - though it seems unlikely.

If Falcao manages to stay fit, his goals will undoubtedly help the cause, but the issues at the back may refuse to go away, despite the emergence of Tyler Blackett as a decent, raw young prospect.

United face newly promoted QPR on Sunday. If they want to stop the whispers, they have to win.