A 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Old Trafford, in which they were dominated throughout, is being hailed as some sort of tiny success, which tells volumes about the state of affairs in which Manchester United is currently finding itself.

At the end of the game, Nemanja Matic praised the result as 'an improvement,' while fellow veteran Juan Mata said that 'everyone gave everything they had' to earn an unlikely point and stave off the inevitable failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Those who saw the match at Old Trafford will have been acutely aware of the disparity in talent between the two teams, none more so than at full-back, where Chelsea embarrassed United with the quality they had on offer.

Marcos Alonso's left foot provided the opening goal for Chelsea, who played admirably throughout the match. However, it was Reece James who stole the show, as he is yet another outstanding talent who provides everything that United is lacking in the wide defensive zones.

James, who is 22 years old, was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance, in which he led the team in touches, touches in the opponent box, crosses, and tackles, among other things. He is much more than a defender in this situation.

Ralf Rangnick tells when he knew Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel would indeed be a great coach.

At full-time, Roy Keane commented, "What a player Reece James is." "He has the appearance of a boxer. His distribution, movement, and strength are all excellent. He appears to be a pleasant young man as well. He's a versatile player who can thrive in any role. Chelsea are fortunate to have him as a member of their team. Outstanding."

Manchester United's troubles this season have not been helped by the fact that strong rivals Man City and Liverpool have both been near-flawless, nor have they been helped by the fact that Thomas Tuchel's team have once again impressed and are in with a chance of winning the FA Cup.

Though similar comparisons can be drawn at full-back, where City, Liverpool, and Chelsea all have world-class full-backs, whereas United's player pool is mediocre.

In the absence of Luke Shaw, Ralf Rangnick is forced to rely on Alex Telles on the left side of the field, although Alvaro Fernandez's promising future puts pressure on his hands.

The purchase of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, despite a promising first season, has been a disaster for Manchester United, and only three years after joining from Crystal Palace for £50 million, he is now being linked with a return to his boyhood club.

Before passing judgment on Wan-Bissaka, it's virtually impossible not to recall that Manchester United boasted that they scouted 804 full-backs before choosing on him. That in and of itself reveals a significant problem within the club, as well as a lack of self-awareness regarding the obvious waste of so many resources on a database that is so enormous that they can never focus on individuals who truly stand out from the crowd.

Similarly, when Manchester United signed Telles two years ago, they claimed they had been scouting him since 2014. If United were considering nearly a thousand players per position and only signing the most obvious candidate, it would be tough to identify any players who aren't on their radar.

Dalot has shown some promise in his short time here, but he lacks the authority to start for Manchester United. He should still have a respectable future as a squad option, despite the fact that he is plainly not up to the standards necessary at the top end of the Premier League at the moment.

Brandon Williams could be a beneficiary of Erik ten Hag's lack of talent this summer, if he can take advantage of the situation. At least he has the fight and desire to play for Manchester United, something that appears to be lacking in many of United's current players on loan at Norwich City this season.

The draw with Chelsea only served to highlight United's need for full-back investment in the upcoming transfer windows. However, with the club's current focus on signing at least one central midfielder, a younger forward, and another centre-back, it is an area for improvement that may have to wait until next year's transfer window.

In the end, that is the source of United's problems. This summer, even if everything goes according to plan, they won't be able to fix all of the problems they need to.