Can Ten Hag fix it?
Manchester United may still have three games left of the season but it feels as though the club gave up on the 2021/22 campaign some time ago. Following a drab 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Thursday night, interim manager Ralf Rangnick then confirmed that he would be taking up an offer to become the next manager of the Austrian national team.
Of course, the former Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig head coach was quick to point out that he would still be staying on at Man Utd to continue as a consultant for the club. But whether Rangnick will be able to offer much help to the new manager, Erik ten Hag, as he is negotiating his way past World Cup qualifiers remains to be seen. Fans of the Old Trafford side would be forgiven for wondering what is going on behind closed doors at the club.
So how well has Ralf Rangnick done as Man Utd’s interim manager this season?
Well, not great… pic.twitter.com/YqMmpu7KRJ
— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) April 29, 2022
Before Man Utd can work out how to fix their serious problems on the pitch in the summer transfer window, when a number of star players like Edinson Cavani, Paul Pogba and perhaps even Cristiano Ronaldo are expected to move on, the club may wish to look back on this season that is about to come to an end and decipher what went so disastrously wrong.
What went wrong – the issues that have plagued Man Utd this season
Perhaps the most notable issue for Man Utd, which was once again evident in their midweek clash with Chelsea, is that this team seems incapable of matching the Premier League’s other “top six” sides this season. Despite being full of stars that ought to be match winners for Rangnick and his team.
When we look at Man Utd’s head-to-head record in the Premier League so far this season, Man Utd have played 10 games against last season’s other top six sides – Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leicester City and West Ham – and from those matches the club have only managed to pick up two wins and a grand total of nine points. A return that has undoubtedly limited Man Utd’s ability to push for a top four finish this season.
Most valuable players in the Premier League
This, undoubtedly, will be Ten Hag’s biggest challenge when he arrives at the club in the summer. Man Utd have the financial means to match Man City and Liverpool but they can only do so if the stars they buy live up to the expectations. And such expectations will ultimately land on the new manager very quickly when the new season stars.
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