RALF RANGNICK HAS SPOKEN IN DETAIL WITH TEN HAG ABOUT REBUILDING AND HOW TO GET THE CLUB ‘BACK TO THE TOP’
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has confirmed that he has been in contact with incoming team boss Erik ten Hag and has said that the two of them will meet in the next few days. Rangnick was speaking to reporters on Friday.
“We’ve been in contact via WhatsApp and we hopefully will have the opportunity to speak and meet in person; either over the weekend or on Monday morning at the latest,” said the interim manager. “I’m looking forward to speaking with him and getting to know him in person.”
Rangnick also revealed that he had spoken “in detail” with Ten Hag about the project at the club and his involvement in it: “We spoke about that [involvement] in detail, about all the different areas I could maybe be of help. It’s not that difficult to know which areas this could be. What is more important is that the club finds players for whom it is the next logical step in their career to develop their sporting career. If that happens, I’m more than positive and I can also be encouraging to our fans that we will bring Manchester United back to the top.”
About the positives that he could talk with Erik Ten Hag about the club and team, the 63-year-old said that he still “strongly” believes that there is a core of players that are “top, well worth, and good enough” to play for Manchester United. “Hopefully most of those players will still be here next season.”
Ten Hag ended his contract with Ajax six weeks early and flew into England this week and will be present at the team’s last Premier League game at Selhurst Park. The incoming Manchester United boss is currently in London with “expected” new Manchester United assistant Mitchell van der Gaag.
Manchester United’s last game of the season on Sunday is against a wounded Crystal Palace side who lost 3-2 to Everton on Thursday night in a painful defeat at Goodison Park – Palace led the game 2-0 at halftime. United have never lost at Selhurst Park but should be wary of their recent 5 straight defeats on the road. The team sits sixth on the Premier League table, two points ahead of seventh-placed West Ham, and needs all three points on Sunday, or a West Ham draw or loss to secure a top-six finish.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero