Manchester United’s ‘disaster’ of a dressing room finding problems at every turn

While Mikel Arteta was enthusiastically talking about the “belief” that such wins bring for Arsenal, Ralf Rangnick was left discussing the lack of it within the Manchester United dressing room.

Manchester United yet again failed to deliver against Arsenal

The German had been asked whether it is difficult to keep motivating this squad, given the situation, given the season. As is Rangnick’s nature - and as the United hierarchy have found out in the last few weeks - he can’t help being blunt.

“Yes, quite obviously it’s hard to motivate and keep the energy level high. It was important to show some reaction today but there’s no substitute for success and it would have been very good for us and the level of confidence for the team.”

Instead, any enthusiasm that came from Erik ten Hag’s appointment quickly evaporated. United were actually behind within three minutes. They are now virtually certain to be out of next season’s Champions League, as Rangnick admitted.

“You look at the table, Tottenham and Arsenal, it’s not very realistic to dream and talk about top four.”

It should be yet another wake-up call for United, of course, in a season full of them.

While Arteta was left to talk about that huge 12 May showdown at Tottenham Hotspur with a glint in his eye, the excitement of being involved in such an occasion, this United squad are left to drift.

And that’s a squad, it should be remembered, that is one of the most expensive ever assembled. What a waste.

It has all added up to a dysfunctional and disaffected group. Paul Scholes had seemed to drop Jesse Lingard in it by admitting on international television that the midfielder had told him the dressing room is a “disaster”.

Rangnick was asked about this and couldn’t even