Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed former interim boss Ralf Rangnick’s assertion that the club needed “open-heart” surgery. Ten Hag, who was appointed in 2022 following Rangnick’s seven-month tenure, stated that the German’s analysis was “absolutely right.”
Rangnick, who is now managing Austria, guided United to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, winning only 11 out of his 29 matches. He concluded that minor changes would not suffice to solve United’s troubles, emphasizing the need for extensive and significant reforms.
Speaking in an interview with Dutch newspaper AD Sportwereld, ten Hag said, “Rangnick was absolutely right. We have been working very hard on this for two years, but he said it exactly right: it is a thorough, very complex operation. And I knew when I started that it was going to be a tough job.”
Significant changes have taken place at Manchester United since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in the club last December. The club has bolstered its board with the addition of Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox, and Christopher Vivell. Additionally, United has committed £50 million to improve the training ground facilities.
In recent transfer moves, forward Joshua Zirkzee and defender Leny Yoro have joined from Bologna and Lille, respectively. Ten Hag has also confirmed interest in Bayern Munich and Netherlands centre-back Matthijs de Ligt. “It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come,” said ten Hag. “Of course, I know Matthijs well, I’m not going to deny that. I wanted to sign him two years ago, but he had already gone a long way with Bayern Munich.”
Despite having worked with De Ligt at Ajax, ten Hag credits United’s scouting department for identifying the centre-back as a transfer target.
Ten Hag also addressed the situation with forward Jadon Sancho, who last appeared for United in August 2023 and spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund after a fallout with the manager. Sancho is now available for selection again. “Everyone can make a mistake,” said ten Hag.
In a recent friendly match at Murrayfield, Sancho and Yoro started, contributing to United’s 2-0 victory over Rangers, with goals from Amad Diallo and Joe Hugill. Ten Hag expressed satisfaction with the performance, telling MUTV, “The standard was much better, we were much more on the front foot. It was enjoyable to watch.”
As ten Hag continues to oversee significant changes at Manchester United, his acknowledgment of Rangnick’s diagnosis underscores the magnitude of the task at hand. With new signings and structural improvements underway, United fans hope these efforts will translate into on-pitch success in the coming seasons.
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