Manchester United fans are in a weird place right now. Still suffering from the hangover of one failed rebuild while preparing for the next one to start in the summer.
Which players will survive into United's next era, therefore, is up for debate, with divides forming among the fanbase about just who deserves to be part of the squad beyond the summer.
With rumours circling about discontent within the dressing room and players commenting on their futures, it takes a certain tact to cut through the noise and make an impact.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the stance of protecting every player and shouldering the blame himself which was perceived to be good man-management, but in some respects, it may have allowed the players to become complacent.
However, you don't want to go too far in the other direction. Jose Mourinho was famed for throwing players under the bus in acts of self-preservation after a loss. At first, it may have resonated with the fans, but as his tenure rolled on it became clear that the manager was trying to protect his shortcomings at times by throwing all the blame onto the players.
And that is where Ralf Rangnick comes in.
Rangnick is the interim manager of United for now and will move into a consultancy role at the end of the season. However, if everything was to go disastrously wrong at Old Trafford, it is unlikely that his standing in the game would be affected based on what he has already achieved within the Red Bull project and as an influential figure across German football.
This means when he speaks it is without an agenda, but he also does not have the soft approach that Solskjaer favoured. Instead, he is incredibly blunt.
This bluntness has resonated well with the United fanbase and the genuine nature of his opinions has shone through. In his most recent post-match press conference, his comments about Cristiano Ronaldo pulled no punches.
He said: “He [Ronaldo] showed for sure that he is physically able to do that [be an engine in the team], but we also have to admit he has not always been like that the past couple of weeks and months.”
This was after he heaped praise on the forward for making the difference against Tottenham, but it still shows that Ronaldo's play in general, is up for consideration.
He also is not the fan of the shifting nature of the narrative surrounding the club, saying in reply to a question about United's chances in the Champions League: “On Sunday [after the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City], I almost felt like we were at a funeral, that it's already dead.
"I felt like it was the worst team I ever coached. And after the 3-2 win against Tottenham, we're discussing about our chances to win the Champions League.”
Such matter of fact analysis from the outside is something United have been missing for almost a decade and there will be no patting themselves on the back while Rangnick has something to say about it.
It is now is up to the club to make sure that, in the summer, what the German says really matters.
