Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick admits his side will need to win almost every game to grab fourth place

Speaking in the pre-match conference ahead of his side’s trip to Liverpool tomorrow (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick admitted that his team will need to win almost every game until the end of the season to grab fourth spot.

The German currently sees his side sit in fifth place in the Premier League table, three points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth. Not just this, they have to battle Arsenal and West Ham United in the race for fourth position, with the Gunners also having a game in hand over others.

Rangnick said that the onus was on his team to control their situation, saying that they need to win almost every game to stay in the top-four race and grab all three points from every situation they come up against.

“It’s up to us. We definitely will travel there tomorrow and try and get three points, this is what it’s all about. It’s about our situation. After the results we are still in the race for fourth, but to stay in it we have to win almost every game.”

Liverpool, meanwhile, are looking to win a quadruple this season as they look to fight on all fronts. Thus far, they have already gotten their hands on the Carabao Cup, are in the final of the FA Cup, have progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League, and sit second in the league table.

“We have a chance”

Despite the rivalry between United and Liverpool being intense and steeped in history, recent games suggest that there is a vast difference in quality between the two teams. Earlier this term, the Reds had beaten the Manchester side 5-0 at Old Trafford.

Rangnick admitted that this side was an underdog for most people, but if they raised their level, then they would have a chance as other teams drop points. He also urged his team to be more consistent in producing results.

“We might be the underdogs for most people but if we raise our level we have a chance. You can see other teams are dropping points at the weekend. It’s again about being consistent and at the end the team will probably finish fourth that is most committed to that.”

Consistency has certainly been the Red Devils’ biggest problem this season, with the club unable to put together a winning run that saw them push up the league table. This was also Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s biggest downfall, which led to him being sacked late last year.

Rangnick has since been unable to turn that poor form around effectively, with the side dropping crucial points over the course of 2022 due to their inability to break down stubborn defences, or sustain narrow leads in matches.

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They could certainly learn lessons about consistency from Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp’s men constantly pushing for titles and success in recent years. Not just this, their style of play is attractive and relies on a lot of energy, whereas we see most of the Manchester side’s performances falling flat.

This gulf in intensity and quality has been the reason why the Reds are far ahead of United, which was proven by their last 5-0 result at Old Trafford this season. However, as Rangnick suggested, if the Red Devils raised their level, then they have a chance of pulling off a good result in their chase for a top-four spot by the summer.