What we're seeing here is the start of a process that will lead United fans to a realisation that they aren't ready to accept - that being that Ole wasn't necessarily the biggest problem at this club.
Read the transcript of Ralfs recent interviews and they are highlighting the same issues as before. Lack of passion. Lack of effort. Players losing personal battles. Players making basic mistakes all the time. The difference is who is delivering the message and how it is being delivered. One of Oles biggest faults was that he was not a naturally charismatic speaker. Ralf has that, and combined with a better pedigree it gives his comments more weight, but ultimately the message is the same.
Its a deep rooted issue within our squad, one that is highlighted not just from watching opponents outworking us every match, but also from seeing the impact that our most important player, Cavani, has on our performances whenever he is on the field.
We can tweak our tactics to shore up the middle, and then re-tweak them again when we realise that exposes our flanks, and again and again until these players finally realise that it's not the system, or the manager, or anything else that causes us to struggle. It's their own lack of focus and workrate.
Let's hope that Ralf can unlock the secret before its too late. Its not going to happen overnight, that's for sure.
