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United face drastic summer rebuild as top four hopes fade

Manchester United’s hopes for the top four are hanging by a thread as they head into the stretch run of the Premier League season. The Red Devils’ defeat at the hands of Everton at Goodison Park epitomized a team that was devoid of confidence and spirit.

Ralf Rangnick has not been able to lift the mood at Old Trafford, and the club appears to be heading for an all-too-familiar season of underachievement, which has been too often the case since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

There have been brief moments of respite under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, winning the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and the Europa League. However, for a club of United’s magnitude and the resources committed to their playing and backroom staff, the Red Devils have been extremely disappointing.

The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo was supposed to lift the club back into contention for the crown after United beat Manchester City with his signature energy and moves. However, even the great Portuguese star has not been able to revive the fortunes of the team, and his frustration was evident in an unsavory incident involving an Everton fan after United’s defeat.

As a result of an eighth defeat in their Premier League campaign, United was backed at 16/1 in the odds on online betting in Australia at bet365, highlighting their decline behind Tottenham and Arsenal in the race for Champions League football. Even qualifying for the Champions League would further mask deficiencies at Old Trafford as they struggled to compete over two legs against Atletico Madrid in their Round of 16 defeat. Ronaldo’s goals saved their blushes in the group stage, but against a stoic outfit in Diego Simeone’s men, United was lackluster in the final third and undone by the clinical edge of the Spanish side.

It appears Rangnick will not be the man tasked with taking the club forward. Erik ten Hag is the favorite to become the permanent successor to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer due to his exploits with Ajax. His challenge is a mammoth one as the entire squad at United may need a drastic overhaul: there is not one position where they can honestly say there is a world-class operator functioning outside of Bruno Fernandes, who recently committed his future to the club. 

David de Gea is arguably one of the best keepers in the world on his day, but he has fallen behind the likes of Ederson, Alisson, and Edouard Mendy in the Premier League. The backline appears to be a complete mess due to the form of Harry Maguire, who has lost all confidence and has crumbled in mentality under the pressure of playing for the club. Raphael Varane has been decent enough but has had injury problems. Victor Lindelof has been up and down, far from a commanding presence in the middle of the defense.

Fred’s form in the middle of the park has been better, although he is still not good enough to be playing every week. Scott McTominay is full of effort, but if he had not come through the Academy, it would be doubtful that he would be a regular.

The greatly enigmatic Paul Pogba has troubled Mourinho, Solskjaer, and now Rangnick, with all three failing to get the Frenchman performing on a consistent basis. Pogba’s future looks to be elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo has papered over the cracks but is clearly a short-term solution in the final third. Marcus Rashford’s form has nosedived this season, struggling for confidence in and around the box. Jadon Sancho has shown glimpses of his talent following his £80 million move from Borussia Dortmund but certainly has not lived up to expectations.

The less said about Mason Greenwood, the better. Anthony Elanga has been a welcome bright spot in the campaign but is extremely raw, and Rashford’s example shows how quickly a livewire can be dampened.

There are no quick fixes to be made. If United is to be salvaged it will not be an overnight job. The club needs a sustained rebuild of its squad to return to the top four, never mind challenging for the Premier League title in the near future.

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