Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has a huge job on his hands at Old Trafford with a number of players said to be unhappy with their current situations, reports claim.
The German was employed to steady to ship following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but instead, United appear to have somehow regressed.
Alarm bells are now ringing after United took just a single point from matches with Newcastle and Wolves.
Their 1-0 defeat to Bruno Lage’s side on home soil on Monday evening outlined just how much work there is to do if United are to achieve a top-four finish.
That is considered to be the bare minimum requirement this term after United conceded defeat in the title race just weeks into the new campaign.
But away from results, it appears Rangnick is now set to encounter problems with the team’s harmony in the dressing room.
The Mirror are now reporting there is unrest in some quarters of the squad with several stars yet to fully take to Rangnick’s ideas.
It’s also claimed that Jesse Lingard, Donny van de Beek, Eric Bailly and Dean Henderson are all frustrated with their lack of opportunities since his appointment.
Lingard in particular looked destined for the exit door this month but instead decided a new manager offered him the chance to turn over a new leaf.
Yet his involvement has been minimal, once again pointing towards a departure.
Van de Beek has also been continuously overlooked as the Dutchman’s Old Trafford nightmare continues.
Rangnick is believed to have put the brakes on Henderson’s ambitions to leave the club on loan.
Ajax had been linked – while former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar strongly denied the speculation – amongst others.
After the defeat to Wolves, Rangnick hinted he now fears for United’s top-four hopes.
“I cannot make any guarantees,” he said. “Look at today’s performance: if I say we are 100 per cent convinced we will finish in the top four I don’t know if people will believe that. It is about taking the next steps and getting better. I knew this could be hard.
“I knew it would be difficult – that’s the reason why they brought me. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to find a balance between offensively and defensively.
“We didn’t press at all. We tried but we were not able to get into those pressing situations.”
United are unlikely to be active in the January transfer market but a number of players are now actively seeking a way out of the club.