Erik ten Hag signing singled out when ex-Man Utd boss unleashed rant about club
One of Man Utd's former managers hasn't held back in their criticism of the club.
Ralf Rangnick didn't win many of his matches as interim Manchester United manager in the 2021/22 season, but he seldom faltered when it came to speaking candidly about the club's problems. The outspoken nature of his press conferences likely contributed to his dismissal at the end of the campaign, rather than continuing in the advisory role he had initially agreed.
Rangnick helmed 29 matches after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking in November 2021, winning just 11 and losing nine. And since his departure, the Austria head coach has continued to publicly discuss United's problems. In a recent interview with Sport, Rangnick claimed there has been a "leadership problem" at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.
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"I think we have to go back to 2013 when Sir Alex left the club. And at the time he was still there, he was the mastermind behind it all," Rangnick explained.
"He probably also brought a lot of important people to the club. The moment he left, some of those people probably left the club as well. And since then, I think they have had a leadership problem.
"Who's really making the decisions, and why are they making them? Are they really the best people for the job?
"I can only tell you that the six months I was there, it was difficult to say, even for me as head coach.
"Who were the decision-makers? Who? Who could I talk to? If we wanted to sign new players, it was difficult. There were people, but in the end, it was difficult."
Rangnick extended his dressing down towards recruitment, singling out the decision to splash £70million to sign Casemiro as a poor move.
United had chased Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong all summer after Erik ten Hag identified him as his priority target but were ultimately snubbed.
The Red Devils then turned their attention towards Casemiro, a different profile of player who was entering the twilight of his career at Real Madrid.
Rangnick added: "If I were the owner or sporting director of a club, I would only try to sign and invest in young players. Because no matter how you look at it, it only makes sense.
"Does it make sense to spend £30m, £40m, £50m on a 28- or 30-year-old signing? Not really.
"Let's calculate it. You sign a 28 or 30-year-old with a five-year contract. You spend £50m more on the transfer fee, an average of £15m per year multiplied by five.
"That's £65m plus the £50m transfer fee equals £115m, plus the agents' fees. The whole operation costs you around £130m."
