Manchester United FAN VIEW: Too many players lack the mentality to succeed... we need Erik ten Hag

Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup on Friday night, losing on penalties to Middlesbrough. It represented the latest setback in a season that seems to be going nowhere fast.

Performances since Ralf Rangnick came in as interim manager have been pretty average though United do remain in the Premier League top four.

But what is more concerning to fans is the shoddy attitude and lack of dedication from several United players, who have not warmed to Rangnick's methods.

SCOTT PATTERSON, from the Republik of Mancunia blog, offers his perspective on the mounting problems at Old Trafford.

While the performance in Manchester United's shock FA Cup defeat against Middlesbrough showed signs of improvement, with Ralf Rangnick citing the 22 shots his team had inside the box, the same questions linger over the problems at Old Trafford.

In contrast to the lift the team enjoyed following Jose Mourinho's replacement with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, winning 10 of his first 11 games, the arrival of Rangnick hasn't led to huge change on the pitch.

The first half of his first game in charge against Crystal Palace showed immediate signs of the pressing football that United fans had expected with the new manager in place.

Since then, it has largely been much of the same, even if United have only lost one game over 90 minutes in the 11 he has overseen.

The football hasn't been great, the goals are limited, and the improved defensive record could be attributed in part to David de Gea's remarkable form, which has seen him become the first goalkeeper since 2016 to be named as Premier League player of the month.

There has been some evidence of pressing, but, to quote a much cited reference to Rangnick, 'a little bit of pressing? Come on, what is a little bit of pressing? A little bit of pressing is like a little bit of pregnant.'

We saw it against Middlesbrough, when Cristiano Ronaldo put the goalkeeper under pressure, leading to the open net that Bruno Fernandes somehow failed to put the ball in, but there have been also plenty more occasions over the past couple of months when the opposition could pass the ball relatively freely in their own half.

After finishing second in the table last season, with the points deficit between United and first place the smallest it's been since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, as well as being five points clear of Liverpool, and seven of Chelsea, the disastrous opening few months of this season were entirely attributed to Solskjaer's capabilities, or lack of.

While there's no denying it was time for legendary former player to leave his post, the performances since suggest the problems that exist are much bigger than the manager alone. Rangnick, with all his experience, has been afforded those excuses in ways his predecessor wasn't.

It will of course take time to completely change the way a team plays, and United weren't helped by Covid cases shutting down the training ground for a time at the beginning of the German's stint, but two months in to the job and it's difficult to argue we have seen many substantial differences in style.

Has Rangnick given up on Gegenpressing? Is it that the players are unwilling or incapable of adapting?

Still, scorelines in recent weeks may have been different with more clinical forwards, with United scoring just one of the 30 chances against Boro.

The fans wouldn't have changed a thing about the way the preceding fixture was decided, with a 93rd minute winner against West Ham seeing United leapfrog David Moyes' team to claim a spot in the top four, but of the 18 shots they had, only three hit the target, and they produced just the one goal with the last kick of the game.

United beat Norwich 1-0 with 13 shots, five on target, but a fortnight later Arsenal beat the same team 5-0, with just three more shots and just one more on target.

Chelsea average just one shot per game more than United this season in the league, yet have scored 12 more goals.

Mo Salah averages more shots per game than any other player, with four, while Cristiano Ronaldo is next in line with an average of 3.5 but has scored half as many goals.

United's goal difference is currently just six, while the three teams above them are in the 30s and 40s, although that is in part thanks to the atrocious defensive record in the opening months.

Off the pitch, the situation is just as dismal, with the controversy surrounding the appalling Mason Greenwood allegations, the dispute over Jesse Lingard's absence from the FA Cup exit and Edinson Cavani's latest extended break.

Rangnick knew he would have a big job ahead of him in turning around the fortunes of the club before stepping up to his advisory role in the summer but even he would likely have underestimated the task at hand.

United fans are regularly left wondering how the squad has so few players they genuinely like.

With whispers suggesting they're unhappy with being asked to stay at training until it's dark and their dislike of the 'homework' they are being given to better prepare for matchday, you have to question how a group of players that have been so unsuccessful have become entitled enough to complain when they are being asked to put things right.

Ronaldo recently spoke out about the mentality of younger players today, giving a disparaging view of their inability to accept criticism and put in the work to improve.

'I remember when I was 18 some older players spoke with me and I took that as having to improve, they know more than me as they have more bad moments,' he said last month. 'This new generation in general don't accept that if you criticise them.'

You would imagine players were desperate for the feedback from a player of Ronaldo's legendary status but he gives the impression that their ego is getting in the way.

It beggars belief that that they wouldn't be hungry for the criticism required to improve their game, especially when the medal tally for so many of them is so limited.

United fans have welcomed the honesty from Rangnick in the press conferences and post-match interviews, where his analysis of the problems and the areas that need to change so regularly hits the nail on the head.

If he is listened to in his new role by those at the top he may well be able to steer the club in a more positive direction from the summer.

But under Glazer ownership, it's not a foregone conclusion that he will be allowed to do the job that is supposedly being asked of him.

Erik ten Hag is reportedly top of Rangnick's wish list for his long-term successor as manager and supporters would welcome someone with his attacking football and clear vision with open arms.

Ten Hag's Ajax have averaged over three goals a game in the league this season, and it was the same story in the Champions League group stages where they finished top, with six wins out of six games.

Likely to employ a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 again at United, he would need to be afforded the luxury of signing some quality midfielders.

So much money has been wasted under the diabolical reign of Ed Woodward but his departure means supporters can have hope of a more methodical approach to signings.

There is quality in the squad but there are too many players in the starting line-up or on the fringes who just aren't good enough. There are some who may have the ability but currently don't appear to have the work ethic or mentality to allow this team to be successful.

United fans are quickly becoming everything they mocked about Liverpool during their 30-year wilderness without winning the league, wishing for next season long before the current one has ended.

The belief that United would reclaim their position as the country's best has dwindled every season since Fergie left but the embers of expectation and ambition are still present.

The thought of Ten Hag and Rangnick is enough to allow supporters to dream but it's becoming increasingly difficult to envisage a bright future at Old Trafford.