Teddy Sheringham has slammed the 'absurd situation' he claims Manchester United find themselves in following the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim boss.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November last year after just one win in their seven Premier League matches, leaving them seventh in the table.

Former midfielder Michael Carrick was appointed as caretaker boss and in his three games in charge secured wins against Villarreal and Arsenal, as well as a draw against Chelsea.

But Carrick then decided to leave his post shortly before German Rangnick was appointed as a second interim boss for the Red Devils this season, a situation ex-striker Sheringham believes is causing uncertainty and inconsistent performances.

: 'In the main, when we're talking about Man United, I think the real problem goes back to Rangnick coming in, another interim manager. It's just absurd for me.

'United had an interim manager in Michael Carrick, they let him go and appointed another, it just brings uncertainty to a group of footballers that should be playing at their highest level.

'Rangnick's obviously going to chop and 원커넥트 change with who he likes and who he doesn't like. A footballer's mentality, if you are left out for three or four games is, ''I really want to get back in the team,'' but when it's an interim manager you can wait till the end of the season and say, ''Do you know what? He'll be gone before I go, so I'll wait till the next manager comes in''. 

'If he leaves at the end of the season, and then someone completely different, like [Mauricio] Pochettino, comes in, it's a whole new vibe of how you want to play football.'

United currently sit sixth in the Premier League, one point behind West Ham in fourth and with a game in hand on them, yet their season has been plagued by inconsistent performances.

They also have a Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid to look forward to, but Sheringham believes if Rangnick is replaced by PSG boss Pochettino or another candidate, this season will be looked back on as one which was 'wasted'. 

'This season's going to be lost,' he added. 'It will be wasted and you have to start again. If the next manager brings in his own staff, his own players - it's just a whole new revolution again. 

'It's such an absurd situation I see at Man United, and that's why you get uncertainty, that's why you get the differences of performances in the Man United team at the moment.' 

United's success this season is likely to heavily rely on Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 14 goals in 26 matches across all competitions so far this season following his move from Juventus in the summer.

But the 37-year-old was benched for the draw at Burnley in midweek and also reacted badly to being substituted by Rangnick against Brentford last month.

And Sheringham - who scored 46 goals in 153 appearances for United - believes the Portugal international could not have had worse timing as regards returning to Old Trafford. 

'I mean, Ronaldo being in there, he couldn't have picked a worse season to come back to United,' Sheringham said.

'He's obviously older, he needs help without taking him off and leaving him out and embarrassing him, as such, because he's a top player, without a doubt. 

'He's one of the two top players over the last 10 to 12 years. To take him off, leave him out, it takes a strong manager to be able to talk to him, to make him understand, ''You're not getting any younger.''

'He's played under a lot of top managers. Then Rangnick comes in, and who knows what he thinks of Rangnick. 

'He comes in and you want a manager to love you, you want a manager to work with you, you want him to understand you, and when you're a top player like that it's not the ideal situation. 

'Everyone's pointing the finger at him, but it's not the ideal situation for him at United.'