Manchester United's repeated failings shown by Tottenham's transfer success with Antonio Conte

Manchester United face Tottenham on Saturday evening in a fixture that could prove pivotal to our Premier League top-four hopes.

After United dropped six points over the course of three draws with Burnley, Southampton and Watford, it seems like - with their games in hand - Arsenal or Tottenham are best positioned to snatch the final Champions League spot.

If United were to lose against Antonio Conte's side it would turn an uphill battle into a vertical climb without a harness, but just how did it get so bad when the standard of football has quite obviously improved under Ralf Rangnick?

Part of the reason is that United are creating more chances, yet failing to score them and therefore always leaving their opponent with a way back into the game.

However, the main reason is that the key issues that were already present in the squad before Rangnick's arrival are constantly being exposed and they should have been addressed in the January window. This is especially true in defensive midfielder.

Scott McTominay has been filling in as the lone number six in the absence of a more natural holder and, though he has the legs compared to someone like Nemanja Matic, he is seriously lacking the technical ability and positional awareness to be effective in the role.

With players like Amadou Haidara and Boubacar Kamara being targetted in January, the club could have sanctioned the purchase of at least one as an upgrade for McTominay, even if there was a possibility the next manager may not have wanted them. Now United risk being left red-faced without any Champions League football.

The example of how successful this could have been is clear when you look at how Tottenham's fortunes have now changed. Though they only signed two players