Top five problems at Manchester United that need urgent fixing

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has taken over the reins in the short term but Ed Woodward has a lot of work in front of him to return the club to its glory days.

Following Jose Mourinho's departure from Manchester United, it has become painfully evident that the club are in desperate need of a renaissance. Not since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson have they truly challenged for the title or threatened in the Champions League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has taken over the reins in the short term but Ed Woodward has a lot of work in front of him to fix all the various problems at the football club. 

We at Khel Now take you through the top 5 challenges that need to be addressed at Manchester United.

5. The need for a defensive leader

Victor Lindelöf has impressed this season but is hardly the vocal, hard man that his side is crying out for

Be it in January or in the summer, it is essential that United bring in a person of the qualities of Raphael Varane or Toby Alderweireld who will add experience and composure to what is right now a very shaky back line.

Victor Lindelöf has impressed this season but is hardly the vocal, hard man that his side is crying out for. United have already conceded more goals this season than they have in the entirety of the last season. 

Adding to that, they direly need to replace Nemanja Matic with either Andreas Pereira or another competent and proven midfielder.

4. Paul Pogba's consistency

After the sacking of Mourinho, Pogba seems to be coming back to his best form slowly

On form, Paul Pogba is without doubt Manchester United's best outfield player. The Frenchman has shown glimpses of his abilities in his time at United but has never been able to do it on a consistent basis. His spats with Jose Mourinho were well documented and now that the Portuguese has been sacked, it's time for Pogba to produce.

The 25-year-old is one who responds best to man management and Solskjaer will be the perfect candidate to do that for him, having already handled him in the United Reserves. If he dwells in the role well, it will be just a matter of time to witness United's playing style dictated by him or if he doesn't then getting rid of him will become necessary.

3. The multiple contractual issues

The board at Manchester United either have or will soon have a number of very important decisions on their hands with the contracts of several players coming to an end in the summer. Some of these players are of immense value to the club while some are basically dead weight.

United have already triggered a year extension in the contracts of Anthony Martial and David De Gea and must tie them down to long-term deals if the club is to move in the right direction.

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2. The need for a Director of Football

It has become evident over the last five years that while Ed Woodward is a shrewd businessman, bringing in several sponsors for the club, that he is just not qualified to make decisions on who should the club sign and whom they pass up on. This was a sore topic for Jose Mourinho who saw several of his transfer targets shot down by the club's CEO.

If United are to truly progress, they cannot have a banker making football decisions. They need a Director of Football who will oversee the footballing side of the club's management, allowing Woodward to focus on the business aspect of it.

1. The search for a permanent manager

The Argentine has been linked to United for quite sometime

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as an interim manager till the end of the season, as the club can identify a long-term successor to Jose Mourinho. This could indicate that United are gunning for Mauricio Pochettino, who is currently at Spurs. The appointment of the manager this time around is particularly crucial as it will come at a time of resurgence for several of United's rivals.

If the wrong choice is made now, it could be catastrophic for the club as it has been evident with the last three scenarios.