It remains to be seen whether Ralf Rangnick will fulfil his brief of securing Manchester United a top-four finish and Champions League qualification for next season.
Appointed interim manager on a deal until the end of the season back in November, the experienced German was tasked with trying to reinstall some belief at Old Trafford and guide the team to a top-four finish. However, with just nine games left to play, United are facing the prospect of missing out.
Should that happen, it would be foolish and naive to lay the blame solely at Rangnick's door. He walked into a club that was vastly underperforming and the challenge of guiding this current group of players to a top-four finish with ease would have been a struggle for any manager.
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But whatever happens between now and May, Rangnick, whatever your opinions are on him and United's decision to appoint him, has done plenty of good things in his relatively short time at the club, even if results suggest otherwise. Not only has he identified things that have needed addressing and correcting for years, he has also developed a handful of players for the better and got a tune out of some that were in desperate need of a pick-me-up.
With that in mind, MEN Sport has picked four players that have made progress as a result of Rangnick's short-term stint at Old Trafford.
Diogo Dalot
Having been restricted to just five Premier League appearances this term prior to Rangnick's arrival at the end of November, a change in management could not have been better timed for Dalot. Aaron Wan-Bissaka had been leading the battle for the right-back berth and Dalot only earned his first start of the season in the league in the 3-2 win over Arsenal - a game which Rangnick watched from the stands before holding his maiden press conference the following day.
But Dalot, on the whole, has been Rangnick's preferred option at right-back. The Portugal international has started 13 of the German's first 20 games in charge and has only not featured in six of them.
Better going forward than Wan-Bissaka, Dalot has responded to Rangnick's demands of offering a stronger threat from full-back, even though he has not registered a single assist. He has been one of United's most improved players as the season has developed and Rangnick's influence on him has been highly noticeable.
Fred
So often the go-to scapegoat for many United fans, Fred has been his side's unsung hero in recent months. He has been a near ever-present figure under Rangnick and his game has developed in more ways than one.
Renowned as a player that tends to sit deep and protect the backline, the Brazilian's attacking output has gone up through the gears in recent months. He has scored two goals and claimed four assists in all competitions since the German took charge and has taken his game to the next level.
Whilst he may not be United's long-term answer to their midfield troubles, Fred has stepped it up in recent months, and Rangnick has played a key part in that. His performance against Tottenham Hotspur just over a week ago was excellent and he earned the plaudits he deserved.
Furthermore, Fred has also displayed high levels of versatility and motivation to remain key within Rangnick's plans. He has used five formations in his relatively short time in charge and Fred has been included in all of them.
Anthony Elanga
The biggest winner of Rangnick's appointment? You could certainly say so.
Preparing to head out on loan in the January transfer window after being ignored for long spells by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Elanga was named in the matchday squad for Rangnick's first game in charge against Crystal Palace - and he has not looked back since.
He has played in 17 of Rangnick's first 20 games in charge and the German's decision to install high levels of trust and faith in him have paid off. He has quickly become the most talked about youngster at the club and his potential is sky-high.
He has, since being handed an opportunity to impress, scored his first Champions League goal, earned his first Old Trafford start with supporters present and earned his first call-up to the Sweden senior squad. Considering Rangnick only landed the job in November, it has been a remarkably fast rise for the youngster.
Jadon Sancho
Having experienced a slow and uninspiring start to life in England, Sancho's breakthrough moment, you always felt, would arrive at a point when you least expected it. And so it proved.
Sancho has started ten of Rangnick's 15 Premier League games at the helm and, after a slow start, has started to produce the goods in recent weeks, grabbing two goals and three assists in his last six appearances. He won United's Player of the Month award for February and has become the first name on many United supporters' teamsheets.
Rangnick, towards the end of last month, revealed that he had held one-to-one discussions with the England international in an attempt to spark his United career into life. Those sit-down discussions have certainly paid off.
He has excelled on the left flank and his talents have started to shine through more and more often. He may have been signed to solve United's right wing woes, but it is on the left where Rangnick has struck a chord and kickstarted his Premier League career.
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