Leaks and lost leads are haunting Manchester United under Rangnick

When Manchester United lost 4-1 at Watford in November, a defeat that cost Ole Gunnar Solskjær his job, things were that bad I thought it could only get better for the club. Since then not much has changed at Old Trafford.

The squad available to Ralf Rangnick should be finishing in the top four of the Premier League. They are fourth but could relinquish that position to teams who have games in hand. If they fail to qualify for the Champions League there will be a lot of blame to go round, not just for those in the dugout or on the pitch, but in the boardroom, too.

Manchester City are not only above United in the table but have also overtaken them off the pitch. City have eclipsed United in terms of revenue accrued, making almost £75m more than their arch-rivals in the 2020-21 season. I am studying business, and when that side of things is not going perfectly, it does filter down on to the pitch. United have made some bad business decisions; a number of managers have come and gone since Sir Alex Ferguson left nine years ago, none of whom have come close to replicating that level of success, and many signings have failed to make an impact.

There were no signings in January to improve a squad with flaws in defence and midfield. United have an interim manager, so entrusting Rangnick with a budget to invest in players his replacement might not want could be seen as a risk not worth taking. There are obvious issues, such as in central midfield where United are very weak, but they will not be dealt with until the end of the season.

It is difficult to make an impact on the squad as an interim. The defensive structure is better and they are pressing slightly differently, but nothing has made me sit up and take notice.

Rangnick