NO cash, NO power and NO backing... Rangnick feels like he’s working with one hand tied behind his back
RALF RANGNICK must rescue Manchester United’s season without going into the transfer market.
United’s interim manager has been frustrated by the club’s reluctance to back him with cash for new players after he made a number of recommendations for the January window following his arrival at Old Trafford in November.
The German understood that he would have some scope to make signings this month after agreeing to take the reins until the end of the season.
Rangnick – who could only watch in frustration last night as United lost a two-goal lead in the 2-2 draw at Villa – has been tasked with landing a top-four place and Champions League qualification.
But with the Reds reluctant to hand money to a manager who will only be in charge for six months, sources in Germany say he feels he is working with one hand tied behind his back.
That’s also led to Rangnick becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of influence that he will wield when he takes up a two-year consultancy role in the summer.
He expected to play a key role in the process to identify and recruit a new manager to take United forward.
And Rangnick also believed he would oversee how United go about their business in the transfer market.
But it is only 10 months since the Reds made John Murtough the club’s first Football Director and appointed Darren Fletcher as Technical Director.
Richard Arnold is set to replace Ed Woodward as Chief Executive next month, and he plans to step away from the smaller details of transfer negotiations. But Murtough is expected to move into that role – leaving Rangnick sidelined.
The 63-year-old has struggled to impose his ideas on the squad that he inherited from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Rangnick admitted: “We had some talks about transfers last week, with John Murtough, Ed and Richard.
“We spoke about it, but I am not involved in that directly.”
United are looking towards Mauricio Pochettino, Erik ten Hag and Brendan Rodgers as they plan for the future.
United’s hierarchy are believed to favour Paris Saint-Germain coach Pochettino, who has experienced English football at Tottenham and Southampton. Rangnick, however, is impressed with Ten Hag given the Dutchman enjoys working under a director of football at Ajax.
Rangnick – the so-called godfather of gegenpressing – feels he does not have the personnel to overhaul United’s playing style.
Within days of his arrival at Old Trafford, he contacted his former club RB Leipzig to put a £33million deal for midfielder Amadou Haidara in motion.
But United have yet to lodge a bid for the 23-year-old Mali international, who is currently playing for his country at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Haidara was a boyhood United fan, but the Reds’ inertia has alerted the Saudi Arabian owners of Newcastle as they look to bring in players capable of winning a relegation battle.
Any movement in the transfer market at United would be complicated by the fact that they already have a full quota of 25 players aged over 21 in their first-team squad.
United are trying to shift unhappy striker Anthony Martial during the window. But while Sevilla are interested in taking the £60million Frenchman on loan, they can’t afford to pay all of his £200,000-a-week wages.
Rangnick’s impact on the quality of United’s performances has been negligible, and he admits that the players have struggled to grasp the concepts he is trying to introduce.
And reports have now emerged that United players feel Rangnick’s methods are old-fashioned and outdated.
United’s nite hierachy favour Pochettino... Rangnick is
impressed with Ten Hag