Manchester United were a mess when Ralf Rangnick took charge after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking, but even he would not have expected his reign to have taken a turn for the worse so quickly. It has been obstacle after obstacle so far.
Poor performances, patchy results and growing disquiet from supporters has mounted the pressure on the shoulders of the interim boss who, with every passing week, looks set to miss out on hauling United into the top four by the scruff of their neck.
Indeed, as it stands, they will be fortunate to be playing Europa League football next season, a prospect certain to further stoke the anger spreading quickly across the fanbase.