Krishnan Sreekumar
Ralf Rangnick addresses Manchester United manager situation after Everton loss
Speaking after his side’s 1-0 loss against Everton last night (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick addressed the rumours surrounding his replacement in the summer and insisted that it cannot excuse the players’ poor performances.
The German was appointed late last year to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and tasked with guiding the club to a top-four finish in order to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League next season. However, his side currently sit seventh in the Premier League table after the Everton loss.
Rangnick said that the players have to be eager to play in the UCL next term, but if they repeat the performances from Goodison Park, then they don’t deserve a European spot in the next campaign.
“The players should be eager to play in the Champions League but if we play like we did today we just don’t deserve it. To qualify for Europe you have to be able to score in 95 minutes.”
Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and West Ham United sit between the Red Devils and fourth place, with Spurs enjoying a six-point lead over the Manchester side. In better news for United, the Gunners and the Hammers also lost their fixtures scheduled this weekend.
“I don’t see any connection”
Rangnick is expected to give up his manager’s seat in the dugout at Old Trafford in the summer to make way for a new permanent manager to finally replace Solskjaer. The German, after all, was appointed only on an interim basis until the end of the season.
The 63-year-old cleared the air about the arrival of the new boss affecting the players’ performances, saying that he does not see any connection between the two topics and that nobody in the team should be allowed to use that as an excuse for their poor displays.
“No, I don’t see any connection between this issue and I don’t think that we should allow anyone to have that alibi, or that excuse. A new manager will come and it doesn’t matter if this will be announced in five days or 10 days or 20 days.”
Rangnick’s tenure thus far has seen us crash out of the FA Cup and Champions League, finishing yet another season where we go without winning any silverware. This now extends our trophy drought to five years, having last won a title in 2017 when we lifted the UEFA Europa League.
Although the former RB Leipzig manager is only here until the summer and is not expected to work wonders, there is still some expectation from the German to finish the season strongly. Thus far, we have been winless since the end of the last international break, and things in Manchester look dire.
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It is no secret that United are on the hunt for a new permanent manager to take over the reins of the club from next term, with Ajax Amsterdam boss Erik ten Hag expected to take over. However, an official announcement is not expected imminently.
Given the Dutchman’s trophy-laden career in Holland and his knack for building strong Ajax teams in the past, there is a reason for Man United fans to feel optimistic about the new season. However, they would want a strong end to this campaign, and Rangnick will have to dig deep and get the best out of his players to ensure that.
