A struggling Manchester United succumbed to a 1-0 home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday after Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho snatched the lead in the 82nd minute of the game.

United’s defeat left them at seventh place, two points behind Tottenham Hotspur who have a game in hand, and went on to highlight the enormity of the task ahead of manager Ralf Rangnick as he tries to lead the team to a fourth place finish.

Speaking after the game, the 63-year-old German told the press, “We didn’t play well at all individually or collectively. In the first half, we had big problems [trying] to keep them away from our goal,” adding that Wolves “deserved” the win and that United were “very disappointed” about the loss.

“The game showed we still have a lot of work to do. We had too many unforced errors. I don’t want to speak about individual performances of players. It’s an issue of the whole team. It doesn’t make sense,” concluded Rangnick, who had thus far won three of his last four games.

Despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure from United following a poor run of form, the team’s troubles have not dissipated. While Rangnick has now won 10 out of a possible 15 points from five games, United’s performances have been far from convincing.

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As many pundits have hinted at earlier, United’s problems perhaps run deeper. There seems to be a lack of unity at the club, evident in the boos with which Bruno Fernandes was greeted at Old Trafford when he was subbed on in the 25th minute for Mason Greenwood against Wolves for tactical reasons.

United left-back Luke Shaw confirmed the same after the game, telling Sky Sports, “We have to put more pressure on them, we have to have intensity. I didn’t think we were all there together. You look at the players we have, we have unbelievable quality but sometimes quality is not enough. We need to bring the intensity and more motivation.”

United next host Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa for the FA Cup 3rd Round tie at Old Trafford on Monday, January 10.