At Manchester United, major changes are in the works.

United are limping along the home stretch as the end of the 2021-22 season approaches, following what has turned out to be an utterly terrible campaign in every manner possible. Following Saturday's 3-1 loss to Arsenal, Manchester United's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are hanging by a thread so thin that you need a magnifying glass to see it.

However, regardless of the outcome of United's final four games this season, the scale of the assignment awaiting incoming manager Erik ten Hag cannot be underestimated. Hollander, in what he has done so far, will be in charge of one of the biggest summers United has had for a long time.

On top of that, he'll have to decide who will be captain for the foreseeable future, which will be an additional challenge for Ten Hag to overcome. Throughout this season, Harry Maguire has been the target of a barrage of criticism, and his status as captain is in jeopardy.

Despite being an £80 million signing from Leicester City, the former England international has failed to demonstrate the leadership traits that a United player should possess. Because almost everything Manchester United has done this season has gone wrong, it's hard for him to do that.

Despite this, Maguire has failed miserably in his attempt to retain the armband, prompting conjecture over who might take over the role next season. Will Ten Hag allow Maguire to retain it in the belief that it will help him resurrect his career, or will he give it to someone person? Only time will tell if this is true.

However, while the final choice will be made by Ten Hag, current interim manager Ralf Rangnick has provided an idea of what he would do if he were to take over as manager for the remainder of the season. In light of his previous life in Germany, he has revealed that discussions with the players would take place in order to determine their preferences....

their opinions on who they believe would be the most effective commander of the squad
Rangnick stated the following during his press conference on Wednesday: "I can only tell you what I've done in the past when I've been a head coach or manager, because in Germany, the captain of the team is referred to as the 'Mannschaftskapitan' (team captain). I absolutely feel that the captain should be chosen by the team because he is referred to as the team manager, which is something we have always done.

"In every game, we had a board of four or five players, which we referred to as the Spielerrat [players' council] and which was elected by the other players. At the end of the season, the player who received the greatest number of votes was named team captain. That's exactly how I went about it.

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This is something Erik will have to consider." "I understand that many head coaches do not operate in this manner. That is what I would do if I were still the manager next season, but in the end, I am not. This is something that Erik will have to decide."

Based on Ajax's present struggles, it would be difficult to choose a replacement should the current manager decide to take Rangnick's advice into consideration, remove the captain's armband from Maguire's sleeve, and ask his players who they believe would be the ideal successor. Manchester United have lacked strong personalities and strong leaders this season, probably with the exception of David de Gea.

On social media and in TV interviews, the goalkeeper has often been the first to communicate with the fans following a bad outcome. His blunt assessment of the 1-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park earlier this month showed that he was not scared to express his opinions.

He said the following to BT Sport: "To be quite honest, I'm at a loss for what to say. We were aware that they were having difficulties and that the situation would be challenging.

"It isn't the most ideal setting for a meeting. You can see that they [Everton] were exhausted and worried today, but they kept fighting and showed more drive.

This season, David de Gea hasn't been hesitant to speak the truth.

I'm sorry, but this is not acceptable." That is unacceptable because they played on Wednesday and were exhausted, yet they had more desire than we did, and that is unacceptable.

I'm really sorry for the loss. It is a source of embarrassment for us. "This is a game that we should be winning."

Those were the words of a powerful individual. By far and away, De Gea has been Manchester United's most valuable player this season, and his integrity cannot be questioned in any way. It has been a breath of fresh air and candor.

Even though Ten Hag appears to be the most qualified candidate to take over from Maguire as United captain, some United fans believe that Dean Henderson, who was courted by Ajax a few months ago, will be the man in goal next season. This is due to Henderson's vision and Ajax's interest in Ten Hag. Ten Hag is faced with a difficult decision, yet it is one that he cannot afford to make hastily.

It may seem inconsequential in the larger scheme of things when considering the numerous changes that must be implemented at Old Trafford this summer, but choosing who will wear the armband might have a significant impact on the club's ability to foster a winning attitude in the long run. Ten Hag is incapable of making a mistake.