Even if it's an indication of the current state of Manchester United that an Ajax manager is prescribing what he needs to accept the job at Old Trafford, it's impossible not to see why Erik Ten Hag is seeking reassurance.

Is Real Madrid the biggest football club in the world, or is it a tumultuous soap opera? A record number of Tik-Tok engagements and noodle partners won't make a new banner in the Stretford End for Manchester United.

This team is a laughing stock on the field. Manchester City and Liverpool were playing in subpar conditions at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and any United fans bold enough to tune in would have been hard-pressed to tell the difference between the teams' games.

As unlikely as it is for Manchester United to win the Premier League this season while Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are still in charge of the club, if Ten Hag decides to take on this challenge, he must guide the club into a position to capitalise on City and Liverpool finding life without their respective totemic managers less glorious.

After five months of being revealed, all hope for a rapid cure for United's problems has been dashed. Since Ralf Rangnick took over as interim manager following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the team's fortunes have taken an unexpected turn for the worst.

Just like some of his predecessors, the German is likely to curse these players as he leaves Old Trafford in the future. Nothing can set back your own coaching career like a stint in charge of this team.

However, it's clear who bears the brunt of the responsibility for such a dreadful campaign. At Goodison Park on Saturday, it was clear that even United supporters held people in their club's colors accountable for the team's current predicament.

Supporters of David de Gea would have welcomed his new frankness in his television appearance. When the club was thriving, the Spaniard was there, and he clearly despises what he sees now.

"It's unacceptable that they showed more desire than us, despite the fact that they had just played on Wednesday." That's a terrible setback. It's a shame that we've done this. In this match, "we should win," De Gea said on BT Sport.

One cannot argue with that judgment, and it is refreshing to hear some candor in a post-match interview, but De Gea's scathing remarks about his own colleagues signal that all is not well in the United dressing room, which has been something we have heard a lot about this campaign.

For roughly 10 minutes before kick-off on Merseyside, BT Sport showed clips from Manchester United's pre-match warm-ups, and the lack of enthusiasm from those players was clearly evident. There was a better chance of a 50/1 Grand National winner nearby than any Manchester United players cracking a smile.

Compared to other teams, United looked like they were doing a lot of work. Up the circle, Paul Pogba would have been hard-pressed to put in less effort than he did.

No one seems to be having fun watching Manchester United this season. This is a group of players who represent a team that many people aspire to play for, yet none of them appear to be having a good time.

Onward and upward, De Gea went in his analysis, attributing some of the team's difficulties on players playing further forward than him.

"What we lack is the ability to create. Not even the right chances are being given to us. To be honest, I'm at a loss for words "he asserted, according to her.

The body language of this Manchester United team says it will take more than a few victories to find any unity. A winning team may quickly become a happy team.

If there was any sense of a shared purpose left in the dressing room, then De Gea would have kept his cool and not unleashed his wrath in the manner he did. He appeared to have no qualms about throwing some of his teammates under the bus.

There are other battles that Ten Hag must fight, including not only giving United a modern identity while simultaneously enhancing the squad, but also eliminating divisions within the dressing room that are making this a horrible environment to play football. United lacks the kind of team spirit that is necessary for them to be successful.