Ralf Rangnick's consultancy role at Manchester United is going to have a specific focus on recruitment once he leaves the dugout this month and it feels like he's already putting the Old Trafford bean counters under pressure.
The German's stint as interim manager has been a major disappointment - as he admitted after the win against Brentford - but his six months at the club has at least allowed him a peek under the bonnet at a football club that needs the jump leads applying.
It's only a couple of weeks since Rangnick suggested United might need as many as 10 players this summer, in the wake of the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool, and he was back on the subject of recruitment at Old Trafford on Monday.
READ MORE: Rangnick explains what kind of strikers United need to sign
The victory against Brentford was one of the best performances of Rangnick's reign but he could still see deficiencies within the squad. He's been saying for weeks United need to sign a younger striker, but last night that was up to two new forwards, despite the flourishing form of Cristiano Ronaldo late in the season.
"Cristiano is not a central striker, he does not want to play in that position, but if you look at international football there are not many teams that play with two strikers," said Rangnick.
"For me, it is a question of what players Manchester United have in the future. For me, it is obvious Manchester United needs two more quality strikers. Modern strikers do not necessarily have to be strikers.
"Liverpool or Manchester City have five or six top-class strikers. If you ask me if Gabriel Jesus or Grealish is a winger or a striker, they can all play there. Mason Greenwood would have been one then after the West Ham game he was no longer part of the squad."
Marcus Rashford would probably fit that bill but the 24-year-old was dropped for Juan Mata against Brentford and his form has been so patchy he hasn't started back-to-back games since February 12. Jadon Sancho is more of a natural winger, but at £73million there is evidently a role for him under Erik ten Hag.
United certainly need a younger forward to share the burden with Ronaldo and Rangnick is right about his comments on modern attackers.
Benfica's Darwin Nunez is a player often linked to Old Trafford and the Uruguayan is comfortable playing through the middle, slightly deeper or from the left, although this squad is hardly short of right-footed forwards keen to cut in from that flank. They also need a left-footed option that can do the same from the right-wing, which is becoming a graveyard shift for United's attackers.
Two new forwards might be on Rangnick's dream wishlist when he holds a debrief with Ten Hag, but he knows it's not the only area of this squad in need of major surgery.
The full-back areas have looked very problematic recently, especially right-back, and with Eric Bailly and Phil Jones both likely to leave a new centre back might also be required.
But perhaps the most problematic area is central midfield. Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata said their Old Trafford goodbyes on Monday and Paul Pogba is leaving this summer as well.
Even if we include Donny van de Beek that leaves United with just four senior central midfielders for next season and none of them are natural holding players.
If Rangnick believes two forwards are required then it feels like two midfielders are also a necessity. Van de Beek's loan at Everton hasn't gone as he would have hoped and even if the arrival of his former Ajax boss Ten Hag is to his advantage, he hasn't made a case to be starting come August.
When Rangnick talked about the performance against Brentford it felt like he gave another clear indication to the board of the type of midfielder required.
"It was also the players on the pitch, three creative central midfielders with Juan Mata, Bruno [Fernandes] and Nemanja Matic. We were in control in most parts," he said.
Two of those creative central midfielders will leave this summer and for all the strengths of Fred and Scott McTominay, they do not fall in that category.
Signing midfielders that can break the lines and create chances is vital this summer, then. Matic might be a holding midfielder but against Chelsea and Brentford he produced an inventive pass that created a big chance, one which Cristiano Ronaldo took last week and Fernandes put narrowly wide on Monday.
The win against Brentford was perhaps the best performance United have produced under Rangnick, but it didn't mask the work required this summer to improve the squad.
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