It has been a season of backward steps at Old Trafford throughout 2021-22. The Red Devils finally looked to be back on the right track towards the end of last season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer taking his side to the final of the Europa League. However, defeat in that showpiece match against Villarreal and a slow start to the season saw the much-loved Norwegian part ways with the Red Devils.
The Glazers, who also own one of the leading sides in the NFL odds for the Super Bowl, decided that former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick was the perfect candidate to lead the club for the remainder of the season, before appointing a full-time boss after the campaign.
However, with so much still to play for this season, how does the German coach turn things around at Old Trafford?
Change Needed At United
There was undoubtedly an overreaction to Rangnick’s first defeat as interim boss at United last weekend. However, it was the manner of the loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers that would have had fans worried about the club’s state.
It’s fair to say the Red Devils haven’t put in a solid performance since the German arrived at the club, as they have scraped wins against Norwich City and Burnley while they were also held by out-of-sorts Newcastle.
Seven points from nine weren’t bad, but when you consider that all three sides United came up against over the festive period are located in the bottom three spots, fans are right to demand more from the star-studded squad.
Wolves were the first opponent United have come up against in the top half of the standings, and the sheer lack of presence in the middle of the park would have been very concerning.
The Red Devils managed just two shots on target in the 1-0 defeat, with one of those coming from a free-kick in the 93rd minute. The Wolves midfield pairing of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves dominated the battle in the middle of the park against Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic.
That position has been particularly troubling throughout the season.
What Can Rangnick Change In The Midfield?
Throughout his short tenure to this point, Rangnick has been settled on the 4-2-2-2 formation. However, that has left United looking increasingly vulnerable in the middle of the park.
There have also been rumors that United players are struggling to play in the system and have been left confused about what their jobs entail in the system. Changing the formation could be the answer to United’s problems, and adding an extra man in the middle of the park could be the solution.
However, that would likely mean dropping one of the attacking players, which could create another problem, as United has looked very shy in front of goal over the past couple of months.
A 4-3-3 formation could offer the best of both worlds, especially if the extra midfield added to the line-up is one of Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes of Donny van de Beek.
All three have the legs to get up and down the field and offer something in the final third to create more chances. United could yet dip into the January market, with the club heavily linked with signing Wolves star Ruben Neves. However, any move in this window looks increasingly unlikely.
Underperforming Stars
While Rangnick can take the blame for the system, one factor that he certainly can’t be accounted for is the performances of some of the big stars at the club.
The players have been slammed in recent years for throwing former bosses Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer under the bus, and they may have thrown their toys out the pram already when it comes to the current regime.
The very least that fans expect from the men in red is effort, including running around the pitch trying to win the ball back. That hasn’t happened at all in recent months at Old Trafford, with too many players happy to let their teammates do the work.
There have been flashes of excellent performances, including McTominay against Burnley, and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League.
However, to play for this great club, the players must be consistent and put in a shift week-in, week-out.
As soon as the team starts pulling together in the same direction, the results are likely to follow, as there is no doubt that there is quality within the United squad that should at least finish in the top four and make a decent run of it in the Champions League.
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