5 steps Manchester United must take to rise to the top once more 

#1 Sort out the De Gea and defensive debacles

Huddersfield Town v Manchester United - Premier League

David de Gea has unarguably been the standout United performer for the past five years, pulling off a host of unbelievable saves to give the Red Devils a semblance of class during those gloomy years post-Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 28-year-old has put himself in the upper echelons of goalkeepers and he is arguably one of the two world class players in the current United team.

However, the Spanish international has been beneath his usual high standards in recent weeks, conceding cheap goals which would have hardly been believable had there not been camera evidence.

It is no hidden secret that De Gea had been a long-term target of Real Madrid with things coming to a head with the infamous 'fax machine gate' on deadline day in 2015 and even though those speculations have cooled off in recent years, the former Atletico Madrid youth product's future at Old Trafford remains shrouded in mystery as he enters the final year of his current deal.

His position is hardly helped by the performances of those in front of him as United's defence has been in shambles all season long which has seen them concede 52 goals which is the worst of the top nine clubs in the Premier League, while their seven clean sheets posted all season long is the third worst in the division behind the relegated duo of Fulham and Huddersfield.

These are hardly numbers to posit confidence and as the saying goes, great defenses and goalkeepers win titles and as such, United must do all within their power to resolve the De Gea contract stall, while also fixing their defensive frailty.