If you were to take the equivalents of Pogba, Maguire and McTominay out of most teams, there would be pretty big issues. Take them out of this United team when the replacements are Fred, Jones and Pereira, there are major issues. Fred has been playing alright but when Pereira (or Matic) is the only partner next to him, its going to be a long day. Jones was the only other fit CB. 3-1 was not too bad.
I hear people questioning if there is a plan, but while there mightn't be such a clear style of play like Guardiola, Rodgers, Klopp etc seem to have, that has been the case with United's best teams. We bullied and countered Arsenal, we were patient and persistent against teams with low blocks, etc etc.
The current plan, with Ole, Phelan, Carrick and McKenna, seems to be to get back to something like this. And when most of the style is broken, inconsistent and rotten, you have to really go back to basics. Hence the focus on players with enthusiasm (often younger player), adaptability and the drive that is needed to play for United.