Manchester United face another uncomfortable few days even after they managed to defeat Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Monday night.
Ralf Rangnick might well look back on the game with an air of consequentialism, United weren't great, but the fact that they won justified their approach.
In knockout cup competitions, you don't need to play attractive football to progress; in fact, you don't actually have to be the best side to go on and win the entire tournament, something which Ralf's Reds could prove by the end of the season.
The reality is that United learn more about themselves when they are critical after a victory than when they hide underneath the safety blanket of social media blackouts and hollow apology statements after a defeat.
A win might have booked United a date with Middlesbrough in the fourth round next month, though it was another dire performance, something which is becoming a worrying trademark of Rangnick's reign so far.
Teething issues can be expected under any new regime, but the constant concerns regarding United's displays in recent weeks indicate there are far bigger problems at play than just adapting to new tactical demands.
With another match against Aston Villa this weekend, United know a much better performance will be needed to secure a valuable three points, and interim manager Rangnick might have already hinted at a possible solution to their woes.
Speaking ahead of the FA Cup tie, the German coach revealed he was contemplating switching to a back three in order to offer greater defensive solidity, but warned the formation change could only happen if he had almost all of his centre-backs available for selection.
United only had two senior centre-backs available for the match on Monday night, with Harry Maguire and Phil Jones both missing through injury, while Eric Bailly is away at the African Cup of Nations. Reserve option Teden Mengi left to join Birmingham on loan last week, meaning a defensive reshuffle was never on the cards, even if Luke Shaw or Aaron Wan-Bissaka took up an auxiliary role in the middle.
The fact that Rangnick has already experimented with Nemanja Matic as a central defender suggests a three at the back formation does appeal to him, but he needs to have at least four centre-backs available for it to work properly, with one on the bench should a change be needed during the match.
This weekend should see both Maguire and Jones return for the trip to Villa Park, and as such, United's pool of available centre-backs will double from two to four, meaning a formation switch is a possibility again.
After such an alarming performance to start the week, it is clear something needs to change by Saturday night if United are to have any hope of winning without riding their luck again. The formation could hold the key.
The return of a number of senior stars should also strengthen Rangnick's hand by the weekend, though past displays against Norwich, Newcastle and Wolves prove that having a strong side does not bring with it strong results.
Three points this weekend might rely on three defenders.
