Ralf Rangnick 'stunned' by current situation at Manchester United
Manchester United interim head coach Ralf Rangnick is said to be 'stunned' by just how bad the situation he's inherited at Old Trafford is.
The German took over at the Red Devils at the end of November, following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking, but the club haven't enjoyed any upturn in fortunes since his appointment.
Man Utd fans were left bemused by the club's draws with Young Boys and Newcastle United - a team who sit 19th in the Premier League table - seeing very little difference between the level of performance under Rangnick. Defeat to Wolves last week was undoubtedly the low point of his tenure so far, with the win Wolves' first at Old Trafford since 1980.
According to the Daily Mail, it's not just the results on the pitch that are concerning for Rangnick, but also the 'malaise' in the dressing room, which is said to have 'stunned' the ex-RB Leipzig coach.
It's even claimed that Rangnick now believes that a top four finish will be difficult to achieve this season.
In order to combat the issues at Man Utd, the coach is willing to move away from the 'rock 'n roll football' tactics which he does not think suits the club's playing staff.
The defensive options are reported to be a key reason for this compromise, and as stated in his press conference before this weekend's FA Cup clash with Aston Villa, Rangnick is mulling over a move from a back four to a back three.
“Well, I think most teams have their system in England and they stick to it," he said.
“But there are also teams who switch from a back three to a back four, or from a back four to a back three.
“Or - like Bayern Munich, for example, or [RB] Leipzig, who also did it last season with Julian Nagelsmann - even if they play defensively in a back four, they try to rotate within this system, this formation, to a little bit of an asymmetric back three.
“I think with our team, we have those two options. In order to play with a back three, we need to have most of our centre-backs available. I think under Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] the team did it, for example, in games like Tottenham, Atalanta away, or against Manchester City in the derby.
“I think we can play in the back three, this could be an option for us, but, as I said, it also depends on the players available, on the current shape and form of the players and also, to a certain extent, to the team against which we are playing.”
As well as a tactical change, Man Utd fans would also welcome some signings this January. 90min reported earlier this week that Ruben Neves is a target for the club, with the player keen to prove himself at a 'bigger club'.