Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has affirmed that former interim boss Ralf Rangnick was “absolutely right” about the need for “open-heart” surgery at the club. Ten Hag, who took over in 2022 after Rangnick’s seven-month tenure, agreed with Rangnick’s assessment that the club’s issues required more than just “minor changes.”
Rangnick, now managing Austria, led United to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League but won only 11 of his 29 matches. Ten Hag, who recently signed a one-year contract extension, acknowledged the accuracy of Rangnick’s diagnosis.
“Rangnick was absolutely right,” Ten Hag stated in an interview with Dutch newspaper AD Sportwereld.
“We have been working very hard on this for two years, but he was spot on: it is a thorough, very complex operation. I knew it would be a tough job from the start.”
Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in the club last December, Manchester United has seen significant changes off the pitch. New board members Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox, and Christopher Vivell have joined, and the club has invested £50m in upgrading the training ground.
Recent signings include forward Joshua Zirkzee and defender Leny Yoro from Bologna and Lille, respectively. Ten Hag has also expressed interest in Bayern Munich and Netherlands centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.
“It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come,” Ten Hag said. “I know Matthijs well and wanted to sign him two years ago, but he was already committed to Bayern Munich.”
Despite their past collaboration at Ajax, Ten Hag noted that United’s scouting department suggested De Ligt as a target.
He also confirmed that forward Jadon Sancho, who last played for the club in August 2023 and spent the latter part of last season on loan at Dortmund after a fallout with the manager, is now available for selection. “Everyone can make a mistake,” Ten Hag remarked.
Sancho and Yoro both featured in Manchester United’s 2-0 friendly victory over Rangers at Murrayfield on Saturday, with goals from Amad Diallo and Joe Hugill. “The standard was much better; we were more on the front foot,” Ten Hag said to MUTV. “It was enjoyable to watch.”
