During his brief time as interim manager Ralf Rangnick stated that he believed Manchester United needed open-heart surgery if it were to fix all the problems facing it.
Although the Austrian was widely-derided for his comments at the time, four and half years later it is hard to escape the conclusion that there was more than a grain of truth in what he said.
Rangnick’s argument was that United required fundamental reconstruction. Minor adjustments would achieve little without strong leadership and a coherent approach to rebuilding the football operation. Changing the manager would be insufficient if the conditions surrounding his replacement remained fundamentally flawed.
Their latest defeat, 3 – 0 at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League, just days after they were humiliated by Como in the Champions League, will surely bring the tenure of Michael Carrick to an end.
He joins the long list which includes Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim who have found managing the club an impossible task.
And at least some of those had decent players to work with in the squad. Carrick may never have been up to the job, but he was dealt a poor hand when it came to recruitment.
Meanwhile, a culture that allows players like Lisandro Martinez and captain Bruno Fernandes to open criticise the club and senior members of the hierarchy is evidence of a dressing-room that is out of control.
It is not as if the money has not been made available. Over the past five years, they have spent more money than Arsenal in the transfer market. But whereas the Gunners have become champions again and a force in European football, United have gone backwards in the same period.
They remain one of the biggest clubs in world football, but that is mainly because of reputation, history and the revenues they continue to generate, not because of their achievements on the pitch.
Carrick may be replaced and somebody new appointed. But whether it is Eddie Howe, Julien Nagelsmann or an ex-player who claims to understand the Old Trafford legacy and aura, expecting him to succeed where others have failed is wishful thinking.
This is a club that needs a fundamental rebuild from top to bottom, and also a sense of humility.
Instead of living in the past, fans, players and commentators alike need to accept that, in this current iteration, they are a mid-table side at least, and that expecting them to challenge for the League title again must be an aspiration for the next few years.
