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A little over a month has passed since Manchester United appointed veteran coach Ralf Rangnick as their interim manager.
The German tactician has endured a difficult start to life at Old Trafford, though. A COVID-19 outbreak barely a few weeks after his arrival, postponed fixtures and an unsettled locker room have not helped Rangnick's cause.
One can't help but feel the early optimism surrounding the German's appointment has quickly fizzled out. Despite the numerous off-field troubles, the main reasons for the discontent among the fanbase and players are the poor results and unconvincing performances on the pitch.
Manchester United are unlikely to appoint Ralf Rangnick permanently
It feels harsh to judge Ralf Rangnick, considering the small sample size of a few disrupted weeks. However, recent reports suggest the club hierarchy has had enough, and the search for a permanent manager is set to take place sooner than anticipated.
Manchester United were seventh in the Premier League when they sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November. Nearly two months later, they find themselves in the same spot in the table, and have not made any progress. They trail leaders Manchester City by 24 points and fourth-placed West Ham by five points, albeit with two games in hand.
The early signs of Rangnick's reign at Old Trafford have been anything but encouraging. On that note, here's a look at five reasons why Manchester United would do well to avoid handing Rangnick the reins of the club on a full-time basis.
#5 Rangnick has failed to earn the trust of the Manchester United squad
The simmering tension that was brewing in the last few days of Solskjaer's tenure as Red Devils boss has now escalated into a full-blown locker-room crisis. Recent weeks have been dominated by reports claiming 17 members of Manchester United's squad are unhappy with the club's situation and their roles in the team.
The team's recent displays against Norwich City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa are evidence that the squad isn't playing for their manager. It appears as if nothing has changed in terms of on-field displays. If anything, the Red Devils appear less cohesive and sloppier than they did before the German's arrival.
Historically, even the most talented squads have failed to deliver results if they were at odds with their head coach. It's becoming painfully obvious that Manchester United's players have not bought into Ralf Rangnick's methods and philosophy.
#4 Rangnick hasn't been able to deal with the squad's wantaway stars
One of the most pressing yet long-standing issues Ralf Rangnick faced when he arrived at Old Trafford was the future of the squad's unhappy stars. Jesse Lingard, Donny van de Beek, Dean Henderson and Anthony Martial were all unsatisfied with their lack of playing time even under Solskjaer.
The German was expected to act decisively to resolve the issue, either by changing their roles in the team or by sanctioning a move during the winter window. Unfortunately, there has been no progress on that front. The four aforementioned players have barely featured under Rangnick, and are looking for immediate transfers.
The futures of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Eric Bailly, Nemanja Matic and Edinson Cavani are also in doubt. With so many unsettled stars on large wages, it's not surprising that the atmosphere in the club's dressing room is far from upbeat.
The Red Devils could face a mass exodus in the summer, and may have no choice but to let players go for reduced fees or, in Pogba's case, for free.
#3 Ralf Rangnick and his support staff's lack of trophies is concerning
Two criticisms of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his time as Manchester United boss were his lack of prior managerial success and the effectiveness of his coaching staff. These issues have seemingly persisted during Ralf Rangnick's short spell so far.
The German manager has been coaching for nearly 35 years now, but hasn't tasted much success in terms of silverware, especially in league competitions. The tactician has seven trophies to his name, including a solitary second division league title in Germany.
Rangnick's CV pales in comparison to the resumes of the Premier League's elite coaches such as Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp.
Manchester United's star-studded squad is also unimpressed by Rangnick's support staff. The German's assistant coaches include Chris Armas and Ewan Sharp. The bulk of the duo's coaching experience has come in the American MLS, and their methods have not resonated with the English giants' players.
Armas, who was recently sacked by Toronto FC, reportedly handles training drills, but has failed to gain the trust of the numerous big names in United's squad.
#2 Rangnick does not have the right players to implement his tactics at Manchester United
A lot has been made of Ralf Rangnick's contribution to the development of geggenpressing. The all-action style of football has been popularised by the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp, who have implemented it to great success. The strategy involves pressing high up the pitch when out of possession, and winning the ball back quickly.
Under Solskjaer, United were among the Premier League's worst pressing teams, and that is not something that can be easily rectified. A quick look at the numbers says it all. In the ongoing league season, the Red Devils are in the bottom three for successful tackles in the attacking third (38). They are also tied with Watford for the fewest tackles won in midfield (110).
Manchester United are in the bottom half of the table in terms of successful pressing (29.2%). They are also in the bottom five for pressing from the front in the attacking third (544 successful pressures, fourth-worst in the league).
The Red Devils are dangerously close to being among the worst five teams in the Premier League in winning the ball back and pressing their opponents. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw have proven to be liabilities outside of possession. Simply put, the squad is terrible in the aspects Rangnick's philosophy revolves around.
Can that be fixed? Jurgen Klopp's excellent work at Liverpool suggests the answer is yes. However, it takes time, which brings us to the biggest problem:
#1 Ralf Rangnick does not have the luxury of time to bring about change at Manchester United
In a recent interview, Cristiano Ronaldo made it clear that he expects the club to be challenging for major trophies in the second half of the ongoing season. Without a piece of silverware since the 2017 Europa League title, the Red Devils are on the cusp of their longest trophyless run in 40 years.
Although effective, Rangnick's philosophy of geggenpressing is not easy to implement.
Jurgen Klopp, arguably one of the best managers in the world, needed nearly three years and multiple signings to win a trophy after joining Liverpool in 2015. It is impossible to improve a squad's fitness levels, get rid of poor habits, instil a new mentality and sign the right players in the space of only six months.
On paper, United's current squad is their strongest group of players since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. However, with the current sour mood in the dressing room and almost no chance of new additions in the winter window, Rangnick has a thankless task ahead of him. It's hard to blame the veteran coach, but time is simply not on his side.
