As 18 of Manchester United’s stars head off for international duty over the two-week break at the end of March, Ralf Rangnick will have a rare chance to address problems in his squad — the most prominent issue being Marcus Rashford's decline.
United’s exit from the Champions League drew a barrage of criticism from fans and pundits as they prepare for five seasons without a trophy. Such a scenario would have been unimaginable under Sir Alex Ferguson, and even more so after signing Cristiano Ronaldo last summer.
The only remaining source of pride for the players and Rangnick is to beat Arsenal and Tottenham to a top-four finish. The Gunners’ narrow win over Aston Villa on Saturday has made that task even more difficult, with a four-point gap and a game in hand over United.
But such a margin is not impossible to reduce. Arsenal still have to play Chelsea and United in their final matches of the season, and that at least gives United some encouragement in being able to decide their own destiny.
The interim coach will have a chance to work on his tactics and fitness with the players whom have been left at home over the next fortnight ahead of two crucial games. The Red Devils will host Leicester City on April 2 and then take on relegation-threatened Everton at Goodison Park — and winning both games is mandatory if they want to play Champions League football next season.
Rangnick will know that in order to do that, he needs his attacking players firing. That includes Ronaldo, although the Portuguese has scored 18 in all competitions. But Rashford has plummeted to arguably the lowest moment of his career and is desperately in need of a confidence boost, netting only five goals in all competitions compared to 21 last season.
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With every chance he misses, it appears that the pressure only gets heavier on his shoulders, and it goes some way to showing why Rashford has been left out of the latest England squad by Gareth Southgate. It may be a combination of believing the forward is not at a high enough level at present, but also protecting the player and allowing him some time away from football to regroup.
The 24-year-old’s future remains in the balance, with only 15 months left to run on his current deal. His availability on a free transfer would trigger interest from all over Europe, with Real Madrid and Barcelona among the clubs thought to be monitoring his situation.
What Rangnick needs to do now is plan for the future as he prepares to move upstairs into a consultancy role. In one sense, that means drawing up targets for high-profile players that can improve the squad, but it also means retaining the star players at the club.
He has favoured starting 19-year-old Anthony Elanga in recent weeks, and some may argue that is on merit, but it has done further damage to Rashford's mood. But after the youngster was called up by Sweden, the German and his backroom staff now have a chance to work closely with Rashford to help him rediscover his confidence on the training pitch.
Jadon Sancho is one of the players to emerge as a key contributor in recent matches for United. And his recent rise after failing to score in his first 13 games is something that can inspire Rashford to lift himself out of his current dip in form, with the pair set to train together through the international break.
Rangnick knows that he will be stepping aside after the club announced their search for a permanent manager is ongoing, but he still has time to create a lasting legacy. If he can find a way to get Rashford back amongst the goals to help United pip Arsenal to that coveted top-four spot, it will allow him to leave the club in a favourable position.
