Get it right!
Rangnick says Devils will spend years behind Liverpool if they keep signing flops
RALF RANGNICK has warned Manchester United they could spend years in the wilderness – unless they learn from Liverpool and sort out their muddled recruitment strategy. The interim Old Trafford boss has set the club a challenge of creating a team capable of challenging for titles in just “two or three” transfer windows.
But he claimed the club are going nowhere unless they get a consistent policy over buying players.
United have veered wildly between big-name signings towards the end of their careers and young talent at the start of their journeys.
Without a joined-up strategy they have seen the club slip miles behind the likes of Manchester City and
Liverpool.
“We spoke about Liverpool and how long it took them. It will take two or three windows if you know what you are looking for,” said Rangnick.
“If you don’t know what you are looking for it is a needle in a haystack. If you know what kind of football you want to play and what kind of profiles for each individual position, then it is about finding them and convincing them to come.
“For Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool it took two transfer windows. But even in the other transfer windows that came later on there has been a lot of very, very good transfers and signings.
“This is what it is all about. It is not complicated. It is not rocket science. But in order to have the best possible wind, you need to know what your destination
haven is. If you don’t know that, it is always difficult.”
United’s recruitment has lacked a clear vision with the captures of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane
and
Edinson Cavani seemingly at odds with a stated policy of building a younger squad.
Rangnick also believes United’s injury record is “an issue that needs to be taken care of for the future”.
“Well, a few things happened (since I arrived) – we also have to be honest with that,” said the interim United boss.
“This is also an issue that worries me a little bit, the number of injuries that we currently have.
“If I compare that with Liverpool, although they’re still competing in four competitions I think they have no injury problems at all.
“We only play in the Premier League and we have five, six players injured. This is also an issue that needs to be taken care of for the future, to analyse why is that the case, why does that happen?”
United’s injury record is being compounded by the fixture schedule. The PA news agency understands that Rangnick was unhappy to see the match with Chelsea brought forward to next Friday (2.45am Malaysian time) after Thomas Tuchel’s men reached the FA Cup final.
The club are believed to have spoken to the Premier League about the decision – one that leaves a giant gap in their schedule and United now facing
Liverpool, Arsenal and the Blues in a 10-day period. – Express
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