You would only have to take a glimpse outside the Carrington training complex to see that Manchester United are in dire straights right now. Meanwhile, a glimpse inside their training complex would explain why their dwindling top-four hopes are hanging by something less substantial than the proverbial thread.
It was supposed to be so different. Having finished as runners-up to Manchester City last season, United welcomed Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford as his sensational return move was followed by eye-catching deals for Jadon Sancho and World Cup winner Raphael Varane.
Sancho and Varane each addressed problem positions for the then-United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Naturally, it was Ronaldo who took centre stage in his second act and, while not ignoring public opinion on the Glazers, 'Viva Ronaldo' provided the soundtrack for early-season optimism and, momentarily, drowned out protests against those much-maligned US owners. They are audible, yet again, perhaps to a whole new degree.
