John Barnes highlights what Man United must do to stabilise the club

Former Liverpool and England midfielder John Barnes believes Manchester United will be unable to take stock of their current situation and secure the stability they need until next season.

The Reds, who will be looking to secure a return to winning ways when they welcome Southampton to Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime, are currently seventh in the Premier League table and their only remaining hope of winning a trophy this season is in the form of the Champions League.

United, of course, are currently in a transitional period, with Ralf Rangnick overseeing first-team responsibilities until the summer, before the club will appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's permanent successor.

Although United have started to show signs of a recovery under Rangnick in recent matches, certainly in terms of their performances, Barnes is not convinced that the Old Trafford club can start improving until next season, insisting they need to find a permanent manager as soon as possible.

Barnes told BonusCodeBets: "Ralf Rangnick doesn't have the authority to drop players who aren't playing well. He might alienate himself from the players if he drops them as he's coming from the position of being the interim manager.

"He has to look at the big players with the big egos and hope that they can turn it on. If he lays the law down now there may be some animosity towards him next year when a new manager comes in and he becomes the technical director.

"I'm not saying they should write their season off but the quicker they can stabilise the club in terms of identifying a manager and bringing him in, the better.

"They still have enough good players to qualify for the Champions League but next year is when they'll really have to stabilise."

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