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Manchester United suffered their first defeat under interim manager Ralf Rangnick on Monday night. Joao Moutinho's 82nd minute strike helped Wolverhampton Wanderers earn a much deserved win over the Red Devils. Bruno Lage's men came to Old Trafford and completely outplayed the hosts.
Ralf Rangnick stuck to pretty much the same lineup he used in the 3-1 win over Burnley last week. An injured Harry Maguire had to give way for Phil Jones. It says a lot about Manchester United's form when Jones, who was playing his first game in almost two years, was their best player on the pitch.
The loss didn't come as a shock to Manchester United fans as there were signs of this in the 1-0 win over Norwich City and the 1-1 draw against Newcastle United. It is becoming clearer by the day that the rot at the club doesn't stop at the manager.
If he is to turn this around, Ralf Rangnick will need to make some tough calls. Without further ado, let's take a look at five big decisions Ralf Rangnick needs to make at Manchester United.
#5 Ralf Rangnick should not give Cristiano Ronaldo a free pass
Cristiano Ronaldo has started all but of the five Premier League games Manchester United have played so far under Ralf Rangnick. Over the course of those six games, he scored a penalty each against Arsenal and Norwich City.
Ronaldo was also in the right place at the right time to poke home a rebounded shot against Burnley. It's worth asking at this point if Ronaldo contributes much beyond these goals. Don't get us wrong. The primary duty of a striker is, of course, to score goals.
But let's take a look at a few damning stats. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Edinson Cavani, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic combined won possession in the attacking third once. Manchester United centre-back Phil Jones was the only one who was able to do it.
Ronaldo had three touches inside the opposition box. For context, Wolves defender Conor Coady had just as many touches inside United's box. Ronaldo dropped deep far too often and his ball progression skills are pedestrian at best these days.
The Edinson Cavani - Cristiano Ronaldo striker duo are holding Manchester United back a lot. They are simply not mobile enough. This brings us to our next point...
#4 Manchester United should sign a mobile striker
Young River Plate striker Julian Alvarez has been heavily linked with Manchester United. Reports claim the 21-year-old's agent will shortly hold a meeting with Manchester United's representatives over a potential transfer.
A deal will be contingent on Manchester United offloading Anthony Martial. But it's about time the Red Devils became proactive about finding a solution to their attacking woes.
Both Cavani and Ronaldo are way past their primes and while they can still offer moments of magic every once in a while, Rangnick cannot rely on them on a weekly basis.
#3 Bring Bruno Fernandes back into the starting lineup
It's fair to give Ralf Rangnick a few weeks to figure things out and understand the strengths of his players. But the fact that Bruno Fernandes should be starting every single game is a no-brainer at this point. He is the most creative and technically adept midfielder Manchester United have got.
Fernandes simply elevates this team. He is always looking to make quick passes and his quick-thinking and execution helps Manchester United topple defences regularly. In his absence, they look like a side bereft of ideas. There are no creative playmakers at Manchester United except for the Portuguese international.
He scored the most goals and provided the most number of assists for Manchester United in 2021. Without Paul Pogba and Fernandes on the pitch, Manchester United are just a wayward side with no way of dictating tempo or carving out chances.
#2 Use a different formation
Following on from the last point, Manchester United have plenty of midfielders but none of them are really known for their playmaking abilities. In the 4-2-2-2 system that Rangnick uses, he needs two 'number 6s'. Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic have played as the double midfield pivot in the last two games.
Matic can play line-breaking passes but there's a limit to the amount of influence he can assert on the game at this late stage in his career. McTominay can be exceptional in one game and quite ordinary in the next. When Manchester United play in a 4-2-2-2 formation, they play with four forwards.
Without adequate support in midfield and McTominay struggling to provide support from the centre of the park, the forwards end up being isolated. They are left to do too much work on their own. Greenwood did well against Wolves but the lack of cohesion upfront ensured nothing good came at the end of it.
Rangnick needs to change this formation or tweak it at the very least. Manchester United desperately need players who can help them control proceedings in midfield.
#1 Start Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho together
This was 'promised land' as far as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was concerned. But the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo complicated everything. Manchester United were at their best in recent seasons when they had a fluid front three with players interchanging positions.
Greenwood, Rashford and Sancho are all runners. Even better, they are all great ball-carriers as well. With Fernandes operating right behind them, Manchester United could once again become devastating on the counter.
But for that to happen, Rangnick needs to make the harsh decision of benching his experienced forwards. But deploying Greenwood, Rashford and Sancho together is not even a gamble at this point as all three are proven attackers. Could it really be worse than what we've seen in recent weeks? We don't think so.
