Ex-Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick’s transfer comments still ring true after Erik ten Hag’s latest window.
Despite receiving both personal and financial backing from new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe - after being bestowed a new contract extension and just under £200million to spend - Ten Hag’s third season in charge has started abhorrently.
With just two wins from six and a pair of 3-0 embarrassments at the hands of rivals Liverpool and, most recently, Tottenham, recruitment at Old Trafford hasn’t helped proceedings. Players like Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, and Manuel Ugarte - though in their early days - are yet to make a huge difference.
When Rangnick was in charge, he delivered a telling monologue, admitting that the club needed a complete rebuild and that signings needed to be specific, premier and suited in order to catch up to league-leading clubs. This warning-esque admission has evidently not been heeded.
"If you look at those two clubs who are currently dominating the Premier League [Manchester City and Liverpool], they did exactly that [rebuild]," Rangnick exclaimed in 2022 after a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool.
"They brought in two managers, but not only did they bring in two managers, but they also changed the whole thing with regard to formation and what kind of players we need. I mean, the headline of everything was, ‘How do we want to play.’ The team needs a rebuild, and therefore, for me, it's clear that there will be six, seven, eight, maybe ten new players.
"Before you sign those players, you need to be aware of who you want to play and what kind of football the new manager wants to play. Then, take it from there. Bring every single player fitting into that kind of profile."
Alas, the United board did not, and perhaps still does not, choose to listen. Rangnick departed that April to join the Austrian national team set-up, and the Red Devils continue to whiff on big money transfers, have a lack of long-term solutions and lose ground on those challenging at the league’s summit.
After parting ways with the Manchester club, Rangnick was entirely honest when asked about the board’s refusal to approach attacking targets, openly naming those he wished would have been signed.
"The answer at the time was: ‘No, there is no player on the market that would really help us,’" Rangnick stated in May of 2020. "But, there were a few, there were a few.
"[Luis] Diaz, who is now at Liverpool, [Julian] Alvarez who will be at Manchester City this summer, [Dusan] Vlahovic, who at the time still was with Fiorentina, so. Those are just three of them of them that come across my mind now.
"I spoke to the board and said: 'Shouldn't we at least speak and try and analyse if we could get a player either on loan or as a permanent deal?' But in the end, the answer was no."
Rangnick’s comments have been recirculated on social media following United’s poor start to the season and the Spurs drubbing, with fans quick to praise and support his insight.
One simply wrote: "This man knew the problem," while another added: "Man Utd signings have been horrendous. It's more like a player having a breakout season and Man Utd decides to buy him. I don’t think there’s any pre analysis over what kinda player is needed."
A third believes that the German should have remained in charge for longer, writing: "Should have stuck with this man and got rid of the rot in the players."