It has been a gruesome season for most of the Manchester United squad.
From faltering Marcus Rashford performances to public disputes with Anthony Martial, it has been a campaign many in the United dressing room will want to forget sooner rather than later. Early exits in the Carabao and FA Cup followed by Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid meant that even away from the bread and butter of the league there has been no solace.
Club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November following an embarrassment at Watford to be replaced by Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis. Initial form was solid without troubling the good bracket but as the season dragged on, it has become clear that breaking into the top four is going to be a tough ask.
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Saturday's draw with Leicester City looks to have extinguished any lingering hopes of a Champions League spot next season and with Tottenham Hotspur cruising to victory over Newcastle United on Sunday, United look destined for Thursday night football. The truly disappointing thing is that the draw at home to the Foxes was a point gained on the balance of the game.
If not for some David de Gea heroics, Wesley Fofana's header would have caused United to suffer back-to-back defeats. The Spaniard is the only player who can look back at this season with any remote fondness.
As most of us head off on our summer holidays this year, we will have the luxury of trying to forget this torrid season. But if Manchester United appoint Mauricio Pochettino, the players will not be afforded such luxury.
MEN Sport understands that Erik ten Hag is the preferred candidate to take over at Old Trafford and he is arguably the preferred choice among supporters too. United have confirmed that they have interviewed more than one candidate for the role and it is believed that Pochettino is well in the mix for the job.
If it is to be the current PSG boss, he could well still be smarting from an underwhelming campaign in the French capital. United players who are expecting a fresh start with the arrival of a new manager, however, would be mistaken if Pochettino walks through the doors at the Theatre of Dreams.
Back in 2016, Pochettino revealed his anger in pre-season to his Tottenham side as they went from Premier League title contenders to third in a two-horse race. Speaking to the Guardian, he said: "I just told them: ‘If I had the opportunity to kill you, then I kill everyone.
"Maybe, yes, I am the first manager to start pre-season with a rollicking. But it’s important to take something from every experience.
"Always, it is important to finish. They needed to hear from the manager about how I felt after the game, and after the season, because there was no time to share then, I explained my point of view and it was a very good meeting."
Whatever your opinion on Pochettino it is hard to argue with the precedent he has created. United's players do not deserve to forget what has happened this season.
United appear to have rolled from one shortcoming to the next this campaign and failure to properly address that could lead to history repeating itself. Yes, United need a reset but that should not come at the expense of a post-mortem of the 2021/22 season.
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