[L-to-R] Erik ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick.
Former Scottish top-flight winner Frank McAvennie has raised doubts about the compatibility of Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangick and Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils announced on 21 April that Ten Hag will be taking over as first-team manager ahead of the 2022-23 club season. Rangnick, who has been at the helm of the first team since December 2021, is expected to move into a consultancy role.
McAvennie recently questioned why the German is staying at Old Trafford amidst rumors of a massive overhaul in the summer. He told Football Insider:
“How much of a say has Rangnick had in this process (of appointing Ten Hag)? Has he had the final say? I hope he hasn’t, for Man United’s sake. I’m not sure why he’s staying to be perfectly honest. The thing is, all of the people who have been making these bad decisions at Man United are still there.”
The former West Ham United striker added that aside from a managerial change, Manchester United need to make wholesale changes in several areas:
“Ten Hag will bring in his own coaches, fine. But the scouts, the directors, Rangnick, they haven’t done anything. The whole club needs a clear-out. not just the manager. So I think that’s a big problem Ten Hag has on day one.”
McAvennie concluded by speculating whether Ten Hag and Rangnick will see eye-to-eye, stating:
“Does he get on with Rangnick? Will they work together? You do wonder what’s going to happen in the summer because if the majority of that team stays, nothing will change.”
Manchester United currently on a dismal run of form
Any hopes of Manchester United securing a top-four finish in the Premier League were crushed by Arsenal over the weekend. The Gunners ran out 3-1 winners at the Emirates on Saturday (23 April) to move into fourth spot.
Mikel Arteta’s side have now accumulated 60 points from 33 matches and are six clear of the sixth-placed Red Devils, who have played one more match. It now looks set to be a race between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur for the final UEFA Champions League qualification spot.
The defeat against Arsenal was another addition to a dismal run of results experienced by Rangnick’s side in recent weeks. They have won just twice in their last 10 matches and only 10 times in 25 matches across all competitions since Rangnick’s arrival.
During their recent run, Manchester United have shipped 11 goals in three matches against Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal while scoring just twice. They also exited the Champions League in the Round of 16, losing 2-1 to Atletico Madrid on aggregate.
With a top-four finish in the league also looking like a long shot, Ten Hag will have an unenviable job on his hands when he arrives in the summer.
