Ralf Rangnick provided a frank assessment of a Manchester United squad that he believes is "not easy" to manage and potentially contains several players who cannot cope with the pressure of playing for the club.
United head into Saturday's clash with relegation-threatened Norwich City having won just one of their previous five Premier League matches.
The most recent of which was a dire 1-0 defeat last weekend to an Everton side that had lost six of seven top-flight games beforehand.
United's performance in that loss led to even greater concern among the fanbase about the collective mentality and attitude of the squad, with a small group of supporters staging a protest outside the training ground on Friday.
Another larger demonstration is expected at Old Trafford on Saturday, and Rangnick accepts there could be certain individuals in the team who are not equipped to handle the expectation on Man Utd players.
"I don't know if this is the case, but it might be, at least with one or two or three of our players, it seems to be like that," Rangnick said.
"That the level of expectation is high and that some of the players seem to struggle with their own performance with that.
"Again, no alibis, no excuses, we have to be ready to cope and deal with it for [Saturday], for sure I am fully aware of that, and I’m also convinced and very positive that all of the players know about this.
"This is a test of character tomorrow and mentality in this game. We are playing against the bottom team. Yes, I know they won against Burnley last week and we know that Everton lost against Burnley the week before and we also thought we should be psychologically in a better position than Everton, but we have to show it on the pitch.
"Whatever we talk about right now, whatever kind of speculation we have and whatever you think, or I think might be reasons for the performance at Everton, we have to be able to, in our own house, beat a team like Norwich and show the best possible performance. This is what it’s all about but the truth, the reality, is on the pitch, whatever we talk about right now."
Reports this week have suggested United are close to appointing Ajax boss Erik ten Hag as their new permanent manager, and on the evidence of 2021-22, the Dutchman will be presiding over a massive rebuild.
Rangnick was hired in an interim capacity in November, with United hopeful he could get them back on track for a top-four finish – that now appears beyond them, though the German insists he has no regrets even as he gave a fairly damning summary of his squad.
"No, I have no regrets whatsoever that I took that role. I would do it over and over again," he continued. "You have to see the situation that we had in December, and I don’t regret that at all.
"As a manager, I always think you have to question and ask yourself what could I have done better. Could you maybe have played with a different formation in this game, or could you have made this substitution earlier on? This is what is always happening.
"We always question and ask ourselves what we could have done better but in general, I think we are all aware that this is not an easy squad.
"That the whole situation was not easy, otherwise I wouldn't even be sitting here, and Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] would probably still be here.
"But again, I think we have shown in the past, in the last couple of months that we were able to raise the level but in the same sustainable way that I would wish it to have happened. And that's the reason why I am not happy at all with what we have done and achieved so far."
Arteta hoping old mentor Moyes provides a helping hand in title race
Mikel Arteta and David Moyes have a long history, and the Arsenal boss is hoping the outgoing West Ham manager does him a favour on Sunday.
Arteta was managed by Moyes for over six years during his time at Everton between 2005 and 2011.
And the stars have aligned that Arteta's Arsenal must now defeat the Toffees at Emirates Stadium on the final day of the season to stand a chance of winning the Premier League title.
But while Arsenal must do their job, they also require a favour from Moyes' West Ham, who take on leaders Manchester City. If Pep Guardiola's team win, then the title will be theirs.
The Hammers' trip to the Etihad Stadium also marks Moyes' final game as West Ham's boss, and Arteta wants one more favour from his former mentor.
"He's been instrumental and so important in my career, as a footballer and a person. He could help us to fulfil our dream and my personal dream to win the Premier League," Arteta said.
"The only thing we've discussed is to give ourselves an opportunity to live a beautiful day. It's possible, it's football. We have to play like every single week.
"We have to win, then hope West Ham to help us achieve us our dream. That first part is on us, it's the only thing we can focus on."
Everton, on the other hand, have little but pride - and 15th place - to play for, having already secured their safety.
The club confirmed on Friday that Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young had been offered new contracts, while Everton have also activated a one-year extension to Idrissa Gueye's deal.
Dele Alli's contract is up, but he will remain with Everton's medical staff to continue his rehab, but Andre Gomes, Arnaut Danjuma and Andy Lonergan will leave.
Director of football Kevin Thelwell said Everton will remain in discussions with Leeds United over Jack Harrison's future, with the winger set to return to Elland Road at the end of his loan deal.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal - Gabriel Jesus
Jesus has scored five Premier League goals on MD38, the most of any player currently playing in the competition. The Brazilian also has more Premier League goals against Everton than he does against any other opponent (eight).
Everton - Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Calvert-Lewin is Everton's top scorer in away Premier League games this season with four goals. He has scored in his last two on the road, last netting in three in a row in November/December 2020.
MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN
Everton are winless in their last 10 Premier League away games (D4 L6), failing to score more than once in any of these. It is their longest run without an away win under the same manager since a run of 12 under Ronald Koeman between February and October 2017.
Arsenal's 86 points so far is already their third highest in a single Premier League campaign, after their title-winning seasons of 2001-02 (87) and 2003-04 (90). Meanwhile, the Gunners' 89 goals this term is their most in a top-flight campaign since 1963-64 (90).
No side have lost their final game of the Premier League season more often than Everton (14). Arsenal have won their final Premier League game of the season more often than any other side (22, including the last 12 in a row), also having the best win rate in such matches in the competition (71 per cent).
Arsenal have lost just one of their last 27 Premier League home games against Everton (W22 D4), going down 1-0 in April 2021.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal - 61.9%
Everton - 14.5%
Draw - 23.6%
New England Revolution v Philadelphia Union: Porter urges players to cut out errors
Caleb Porter accepts New England Revolution must cut out the individual errors if they are to return to winning ways against Philadelphia Union.
The Revs went down 4-2 to New York Red Bulls last time out to make it four defeats in their last five games, and eight losses in 11 overall this season in MLS.
New England are bottom of the Eastern Conference, but Porter hopes lessons have been learned ahead of hosting Philadelphia on Saturday.
"Three of the four [goals NYRB scored] were individual mistakes that are easily correctable," Porter told The Blazing Musket. "We've gone to the training ground and corrected a few of those situation.
"But it's just individuals in those moments have to be better. It wasn't a bad team-defending performance, but three of the four goals we gave up were routine."
The Union have double the number of points compared to their opponents, having played one game more, as they occupy ninth place in the East.
The Us are themselves not in great form, though, as they lost 2-1 at home to New York City FC in their most recent game - a contest overshadowed by a raccoon that entered the field.
They have just two points from the past 18 on offer, meanwhile, and head coach Jim Curtin admits it is on him and his players to turn things around.
"The guys fight until the end, and we have to find a way to get out of this," Curtin said. "We're the only people that are going to get us out of it.
"The people in that locker room, the coaches, the players, they recognise that. They've shown they can beat anybody, and we're the only ones that can dig us out of this now."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New England Revolution - Carles Gil
Gil got the Revs temporarily on level terms against New York Red Bulls, with that his 100th regular-season goal contribution in MLS. That makes the Revs' attacking midfielder the seventh European player to reach that milestone, and the second Spaniard after David Villa.
Philadelphia Union - Julian Carranza
Carranza was on target for the Union in their midweek loss to New York City, coming from one of nine attempts he had on target. The former Argentina age-grade international has now registered four-or-more shots in four MLS career matches.
To put that in perspective, the two other players to have done so in the club's history - Conor Casey and Andrew Wenger - have done so in a combined two games (one each).
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Philadelphia have won 12 matches against the Revs across all MLS competitions, which includes MLS is Back, since 2018 - their best return against any single opponent across that period.
New England's tally of seven points from their opening 11 games is their worst-such return at this stage of a campaign in club history, with only two out of 17 teams in the post-shootout era (since 2000) managing to reach the playoffs from this position.
However, there is some hope for them this weekend as the Union's one point across their past five matches is their fewest across any five-game span within a single season since April 2017.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New England Revolution - 36.1%
Draw - 28.8%
Philadelphia Union - 35.1%
New York City v New York Red Bulls: Schwarz targeting 'perfect week'
Sandro Schwarz has called on the New York Red Bulls to make it a "perfect" week when they visit rivals New York City for a meeting between two of the form teams in MLS.
The Red Bulls sit third in the Eastern Conference, five points behind leaders Inter Miami with a game in hand, after back-to-back wins over the New England Revolution (4-2) and D.C. United (4-1).
Just three points further back are NYCFC, who have taken 15 points from the last 18 available to soar up the standings.
Schwarz knows a derby victory would make this week hugely significant for the Red Bulls, saying: "It's a short week and we need all our players, not only 11, 12 or 13.
"On Saturday, we know it's an important game for our club and we want to have this perfect week. We have six points already this week and we want to create that. It's step by step."
NYCFC boss Nick Cushing, meanwhile, is pleased to see his side looking more dangerous in transition after successive victories over Toronto FC (3-2) and the Philadelphia Union (2-1).
"I think my aim at the start of the season was to have us create goal chances in every phase of play," Cushing said.
"We had good moments last year but maybe weren't great in low moments, or when counter-pressing.
"I'm really pleased that we are creating from transition moments, but if we have more possession you have control and can take the air out of games."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New York City – Santiago Rodriguez
Rodriguez assisted New York City's opening goal in their midweek win over Philadelphia.
NYCFC have a record of five wins, one draw and one defeat in the seven matches in which Rodriguez has contributed to a goal this season, compared to one win, one draw and four losses when he has not.
New York Red Bulls – Lewis Morgan
Morgan, Elias Manoel and Cameron Harper have each scored in the Red Bulls' last two matches.
The last time two Red Bulls players scored in three straight matches was between March and April 2012, when Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry each scored in the same three consecutive games.
MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK CITY WIN
The Red Bulls won each of their first two road games against New York City, scoring 10 goals in the process.
However, the Red Bulls have since won on just one of their last nine visits to Yankee Stadium (two draws, six defeats), totalling just seven goals in those games.
NYCFC have won five of their last six matches (one defeat) after starting the campaign with just one victory in seven. With home advantage on their side, they may just be slight favourites for what should be an entertaining affair.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New York City – 45.2%
New York Red Bulls – 25.9%
Draw – 28.9%
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