Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick is ‘staggered’ by the state of his squad and intends to present a dossier to Erik ten Hag, according to reports. The Red Devils have announced the Ajax boss will take over at Old Trafford come the end of the campaign. And he’s got quite the job on his hands ahead of his switch to the Premier League.
Manchester United have endured a nightmare season so far, struggling under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Rangnick.
Things went from bad to worse on Saturday, with the Red Devils comprehensively outplayed by Arsenal in their defeat at the Emirates Stadium.
And, now, The Mirror say Rangnick has been ‘stunned’ by the state of the squad he’s inherited at the club.
The United interim boss now intends to present a dossier to Ten Hag about his findings, with the information described as a ‘dossier of shame’.
It’s claimed Rangnick has been asked to do such a task by Red Devils chiefs John Murtough and Richard Arnold.
And Rangnick has told them he won’t hold back.
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“Man Utd were a million miles away from that Liverpool team in every department. On and off the pitch. It was a sobering evening,” he said after the midweek 4-0 defeat to Liverpool.
“We expected it. Not one Man United fan came here with any hope whatsoever. That team has got nothing.
“There are some decent players out on that pitch and some talent. I cannot explain how it’s gone from what would be slightly promising at the end of last season finishing second – I know they lost in the Europa League final which was a bad one – to the point where we are today which is an all-time low in my 42 years of watching United. I’ve never seen it as bad as that.
“I’ve never seen a Man United team wilt and be as flaky in a game of football in my 40 years.”
And Rangnick privately agrees with the Sky Sports pundit’s assessment.
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The United interim boss wants the club to ditch big-name signings and players for a short-term fix.
And he feels that United shouldn’t be signing players at the end of their career, like they’ve done with Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani in recent times.
Rangnick wants the club to take action.
But whether they do, with the summer transfer window edging closer, ultimately remains to be seen.
Speaking after the match with Arsenal, meanwhile, Rangnick admitted he was unhappy at another bad result.
“Today was better than Tuesday, an improved performance. We should have scored more goals than we did.
“We bounced back from a poor start and had numerous chances. He hit the crossbar and the post twice. We had enough chances to get a better result.
“The one thing we didn’t do well was defending in and around our own box. This has been an issue all season.
“We should have defended better. The third goal was a clear offside and I do not understand why VAR did not intervene.
“But in possession we created enough chances to get two or even three goals.”