Man Utd may have already stumbled upon perfect Ralf Rangnick replacement

Manchester United kept their top four hopes alive with a desperately unconvincing 2-0 win over Brighton on Tuesday night - but the Old Trafford outfit may have stumbled upon more than just three points.

Ralf Rangnick's uninspiring interim reign now has just over two-and-a-half months left to run before United tackle the job of sourcing a permanent replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

A host of names have been linked with the role - but one unfashionable name may have overseen the perfect Old Trafford audition in midweek.

Graham Potter's name has only been fleetingly linked with the United vacancy.

But Brighton's stunning first half display on Tuesday night should be enough to change that after they ran United ragged.

Under Potter, Brighton have evolved into one of the Premier League's classiest teams.

And their slick, adventurous style of play is exactly the type of football that has become synonymous with Manchester United over the years.

If you'd have told Sir Alex Ferguson that, in his lifetime, Brighton would run rings around United at Old Trafford, you'd have probably been laughed out of the building.

But that's exactly what happened on Tuesday night - and the final scoreline isn't enough to gloss over that fact.

Brighton absolutely bossed proceedings against United's band of expensive, misfiring stars with an exceptional first half display.

Adam Webster's early dismissal after the interval effectively killed the game for Brighton, who fell to second half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.

But the first half told the story as far as both Manchester United and Brighton are concerned right now.

Rangnick must have been looking on in envy at the polished, cohesive approach from Brighton that left