THE PROBLEM CALLED "MANCHESTER UNITED"

The misery of Manchester United continues as the red's 4-0 away loss against Brighton means that it's now statistically impossible for them to touch the top four places even if they manage to with the rest of their games. Knocked out of the UCL round of 16 by Atletico Madrid, the Red Devils will now play in Europe next season but in the UEFA Europa League.

Ralf Ragnick's side will be making their second appearance in the UEL after Ole Gunnar Solsjaker led them to the final in Gdansk, where they lost a heartbreaking penalty shootout to Unai Emery's Villareal. Only David De Gea missed his penalty, extending Manchester United's trophy wait to 1799 days. A gentle reminder that ManUtd won the Europa League when Jose Mourinho was in charge, which also happened to be their final prize.

Manchester United had completely revamped their roster for the 2021/22 season. Signings such as Jadon Sancho (Dortmund) and Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) were made this season, but the most significant was the return to Old Trafford of the legend Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), who made a sensational homecoming after being extensively linked with Manchester City.

But even after having such a squad at their disposal, the Red Devils are seemingly unable to establish themselves as a Title contender in any way. Jokes spreading around say that since Fergie's departure the only thing Manchester United fans have been celebrating is the managerial changes.

With Erik Ten Hag now the new man in the hot seat, we have got to look at a few problems that ManUtd has been facing

Bad gameplay at the basics: Ralf Ragnick was hired as a replacement for Ole Gunnar Solakser to bring Manchester United back into the Big 6 competition. However, it would seem that the Reds are having a hard time adapting to German's fast-paced system. Since Everton held them to a 1-1 draw at the start of October, Manchester United has surrendered two or more goals in every game. But it's just as awful in the attack as it's in the defense. United's pressing game has been mediocre, growing increasingly lethargic as the days pass. Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba's work rate with the ball has raised questions, while Bruno Fernandes' attacking has left the midfield open for the opposition to tear through.

 Things haven't been much better at the back, with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw suffering since their spirited displays at the Euros. United this season has managed to get a measly Nine points from the ten games they play against the "Top 6" of the Premier League.

United's cohesion has deteriorated in recent weeks, and the Red Devils must return to basics.

Leadership void: As of today, Harry Maguire still wears the captain's armband. However, the defender has repeatedly shown his incompetency and his lack of leadership skills with this United squad. Often questions are raised over Harry's role as the captain and the Mancs have made it clear that they would prefer Cristiano Ronaldo to run this side over the English Captain. 

The "Cristiano Ronaldo" effect: Speaking about Cristiano Ronaldo, the man has been an important figure for this squad this season. The Portuguese have shown to be a key figure as he's currently the squad's highest goalscorer despite being 37 years of age. The man single-handedly carried United through to the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League only to fall against Simeone's Atletico de Madrid. However, ManUtd cannot depend upon the brilliance of CR7 for a long time because of his age. They need to find a long-term option that can learn under the tutelage of Cristiano and evolve into an attacking threat.  

Currently, Benfica's Darwin Nunez is linked heavily but only time will tell.

The Belief factor: Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, Manchester United has been on an odd trajectory. The club's revolving door of managers (and the resulting lackluster results) has suffocated the spirit of a team that was once regarded as a serious contender in the game.

Overreliance on individual talent: A problem that has constantly come back to bite Manchester in the back as their over-reliance on individual performances often rejects proper teamplay and thus affects results in the process. The brilliant displays of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and others cannot always save the team, and the sooner the manager realizes it the better will it be.

- Asher Collin Alex Dias