It's understandable that Chelsea were frustrated to be forced to settle for a point at Old Trafford, but the fact that Thomas Tuchel was serenaded by supporters at the end of the game served as a reminder of the impact that a smart coach and savvy tactician can have on a team's fortunes.

Because they will compete in their sixth final in Tuchel's 15 months in charge in the middle of May, this game has been moved up 17 days from its original start date.

When the UK government imposed sanctions on Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in March, Manchester United looked into the potential of luring Tuchel away from Stamford Bridge. When it became evident that this was not going to happen, they settled on Erik ten Hag, whose influence on this squad is desperately needed right now.

Manchester United consultant Philippe Rangnick is in talks to take over as the head coach of Austria when his contract at Old Trafford expires - a job that would allow him to continue working with United.

Considering how outrageously poorly his first coaching job has turned out, Rangnick should consider himself fortunate to be stepping into another coaching position. United snatched him from the shadows of the boardroom, and his record as a manager is dismal, with only 10 victories in his 26 games in charge.

His approaches, as well as those of his unknown American assistant Chris Armas, have long since lost their credibility with the players. They have never gained the respect of a team of international players in a changing room full of them.

This is a Manchester United team that appears to be desperate for the new direction that Ten Hag will bring. The tactical errors they committed against Chelsea were as fundamental as they come, and while it may never be apparent how much of the responsibility should be placed on Rangnick or the players, the set-up never looked like it would work.

In past games at Old Trafford this season, wing-backs have given United the runaround, most notably in a 3-2 victory against Tottenham in which Cristiano Ronaldo's genius was more important than anything.

The lessons from those games have been completely ignored. At Old Trafford, Marcos Alonso and Reece James were once again given the freedom of the wings. Alex Telles had a difficult time dealing with James, but the Brazilian was divided between staying wide to cope with James and chasing the runs of Mason Mount between himself and Raphael Varane.

The run Mount would make time and time again would leave James open for a cross-field pass from the other team. It isn't even a strategy that Chelsea has prepared for this particular game. The strategy is one they employ on a weekly basis, and United were helpless to prevent it.

Despite the fact that Rangnick has struggled with central midfield since his arrival at the club, the ease with which Chelsea's midfield trio of Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matic, and Bruno Fernandes were manipulated by the Blues was shocking to witness.

N'Golo Kante and Jorginho were victorious in that battle despite the fact that they were down a man, and there was little pressure on the ball when they were in possession. However, United have gone so far from the gegenpressing philosophy that they can scarcely press on the ball outside of their own penalty area.
Despite the fact that United were second best for practically the entire game, a draw with Chelsea when you have eight first-team players absent and a squad in freefall might not appear to be so bad on paper.

Chelsea had nine attempts on target by the half-hour mark, and their press box analysts were as enraged as manager Thomas Tuchel as each opportunity went begging.

Chelsea had managed 21 shots to United's four, and nine corners to United's two at the end of the game. They would have gotten away with more if they had a better eye for goal.

This horrible season has three games left, and the highlight of those games will be minutes for some of the young players who were in the squad last night, with Alejandro Garnacho being the only one to come in in injury time. If they were playing Brentford or Brighton or Crystal Palace, Alvaro Fernandez, Hannibal Mejbri, Shola Shoretire, and Garnacho would have found things a little easier.

Their more experienced teammates, on the other hand, are counting down the days till May 22. Despite the fact that Rangnick will likely be departing for Austria in the near future, this is a team that requires the guidance of an astute coach and tactician. It is necessary for Erik ten Hag to locate a group of people who are willing to listen to him in the hopes that he can do for them what Tuchel has done for Chelsea.