DEVIL OF A JOB
5.30PM, SKY SPORTS Ralf: Arsenal revival is a lesson to United
RALF RANGNICK has told Manchester United they must get their recruitment and philosophy right to stand any chance of getting back to the top.
United have nine games left to secure fourth place and Champions League football for next season, starting today against Leicester.
And Rangnick pointed to Arsenal, currently fourth, as an example of how a team can rebuild after years of turmoil.
The interim manager said: “In the end it’s about recruitment, having the right players, signing the right players at the right time. It’s pretty easy in football, it’s about having a recruitment process.
“What kind of players do we really need for which kind of football?What do we stand for?
“And then have the best possible manager to fit into that. Everyone would like to play in the Champions League every year, but other clubs have had that experience as well. Look at Arsenal, for example, they have not played in the Champions League for a couple of years and they’ve drawn the right conclusions at the club and this is possible.” United are interviewing for the permanent manager’s job, with Ajax coach Erik ten Hag and Paris Saint-Germain’s Mauricio Pochettino already sounded out. Former Red Devils manager
Louis van Gaal advised Dutch compatriot Ten Hag to avoid the United job if offered it, branding it a “commercial club” rather than a “football club”.
That drew a curt reply from Rangnick, who said: “Louis is an experienced coach and signed a contract here some years ago. He could have known that in advance if he had that opinion. “It’s always good if you have money available to sign players, but the question is – do you sign the right players?
“It’s not only a question of money, but a question of what kind of idea do you have behind that?What kind of philosophy? “It’s a great club and, if the club draw the right conclusions on what’s happened in the last couple of years, I still see a very bright future for this club.” There was some good news for United fans yesterday as Bruno Fernandes signed a two-year extension to his deal, doubling his wages to £250,000 a week. The 27-year-old, who is now under contract until 2026, said: “Even after two years here, it still feels amazing to step out at Old Trafford, to hear the fans sing my song and to score in front of the Stretford End. There is so much more I want to achieve here.”