Ralf Rangnick has spoken out about Man Utd's struggles (Image: Getty)
Ralf Rangnick has doubled down on his previous "open heart surgery" remarks about Manchester United, as Erik ten Hag faces increased pressure after an underwhelming start to the season.
The former interim Man Utd manager, now Austria's head coach, had brutally critiqued the Old Trafford outfit's problems before departing, emphasising the need for an overhaul.
Years have rolled by, and despite United's new direction under the guidance of INEOS, Rangnick believes the troubles he highlighted persist even after sizeable investments in the squad.
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Last season, United finished all the way down in eighth place with just 60 points and a goal difference of minus one, with Ten Hag only keeping his job because of the FA Cup triumph over neighbours Man City.
Despite renewed optimism heading into this season, United have suffered two losses in their first three league games. Speaking on television over the weekend, Rangnick revisited his original statement, acknowledging that Ten Hag agreed with his assessment not too long ago.
He said: "I probably made that statement when the season was almost over about two years ago. It is probably only two or three weeks since Erik ten Hag was asked the same thing.
"Then he said that I was right in my analysis. I don't know how many players they have signed since, but it looks like I was right."
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Before leaving Old Trafford in 2022, Rangnick frankly said: "You don't even need glasses to see and analyse where the problems are. Now it's about how do we solve them? It's not enough to do some minor amendments cosmetic things.
"In medicine you would say that this is an operation of the open heart. If this happens and everyone has realised that this has to happen and if people want to work together then it makes sense and I believe it doesn't take two or three years to change those things. This can happen within one year."
United, after a humbling defeat at the hands of Liverpool prior to the international break, are preparing to return to Premier League action with an early kick-off against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday. The pressure continues to mount on Ten Hag as he comes under intense scrutiny mere weeks after penning a new deal.
