#3 Ralf Rangnick and his support staff's lack of trophies is concerning
Two criticisms of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his time as Manchester United boss were his lack of prior managerial success and the effectiveness of his coaching staff. These issues have seemingly persisted during Ralf Rangnick's short spell so far.
The German manager has been coaching for nearly 35 years now, but hasn't tasted much success in terms of silverware, especially in league competitions. The tactician has seven trophies to his name, including a solitary second division league title in Germany.
Rangnick's CV pales in comparison to the resumes of the Premier League's elite coaches such as Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp.
Manchester United's star-studded squad is also unimpressed by Rangnick's support staff. The German's assistant coaches include Chris Armas and Ewan Sharp. The bulk of the duo's coaching experience has come in the American MLS, and their methods have not resonated with the English giants' players.
Armas, who was recently sacked by Toronto FC, reportedly handles training drills, but has failed to gain the trust of the numerous big names in United's squad.
#2 Rangnick does not have the right players to implement his tactics at Manchester United
A lot has been made of Ralf Rangnick's contribution to the development of geggenpressing. The all-action style of football has been popularised by the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp, who have implemented it to great success. The strategy involves pressing high up the pitch when out of possession, and winning the ball back quickly.
Under Solskjaer, United were among the Premier League's worst pressing teams, and that is not something that can be easily rectified. A quick look at the numbers says it all. In the ongoing league season, the Red Devils are in the bottom three for successful tackles in the attacking third (38). They are also tied with Watford for the fewest tackles won in midfield (110).
Manchester United are in the bottom half of the table in terms of successful pressing (29.2%). They are also in the bottom five for pressing from the front in the attacking third (544 successful pressures, fourth-worst in the league).
The Red Devils are dangerously close to being among the worst five teams in the Premier League in winning the ball back and pressing their opponents. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw have proven to be liabilities outside of possession. Simply put, the squad is terrible in the aspects Rangnick's philosophy revolves around.
Can that be fixed? Jurgen Klopp's excellent work at Liverpool suggests the answer is yes. However, it takes time, which brings us to the biggest problem:
#1 Ralf Rangnick does not have the luxury of time to bring about change at Manchester United
In a recent interview, Cristiano Ronaldo made it clear that he expects the club to be challenging for major trophies in the second half of the ongoing season. Without a piece of silverware since the 2017 Europa League title, the Red Devils are on the cusp of their longest trophyless run in 40 years.
Although effective, Rangnick's philosophy of geggenpressing is not easy to implement.
Jurgen Klopp, arguably one of the best managers in the world, needed nearly three years and multiple signings to win a trophy after joining Liverpool in 2015. It is impossible to improve a squad's fitness levels, get rid of poor habits, instil a new mentality and sign the right players in the space of only six months.
On paper, United's current squad is their strongest group of players since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. However, with the current sour mood in the dressing room and almost no chance of new additions in the winter window, Rangnick has a thankless task ahead of him. It's hard to blame the veteran coach, but time is simply not on his side.