Man Utd star dubbed ‘teacher’s pet’ amid Rangnick ‘resentment’

Ralf Rangnick’s decision-making and mere presence at Manchester United is the source of great unrest among the players, according to reports.

The Manchester Evening News claims ‘resentment is rife in the United dressing room’ over Rangnick’s selection strategy.

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The report states that ‘fringe players are still expressing bitterness at being overlooked’, with one such player describing a teammate as a ‘teacher’s pet’ due to their regular game time in comparison.

Another is said to be ‘jealous of the attention competitors receive’.

Erik Bailly, who has played just seven times this season, is ‘irked by the continued presence of Harry Maguire in the side’, while Diogo Dalot is said to be ‘surprised by his sudden withdrawal from the team’ after eight successive starts at right-back.

And Dean Henderson ‘feels harshly treated’ having made just three appearances all season and none in the Premier League.

But it’s not just Rangnick’s selection policy that’s under fire, with some players bemused as to why United hired the German boss.

They are ‘unimpressed’ with his background as a coach and have questioned why they would bring in a sporting director from the Russian league – they have ‘derided his CV’.

Meanwhile, United legend Paul Scholes has questioned the club’s decision to hire Rangnick.

He told Premier League Productions: “What do we expect? We’ve brought in an interim coach who hasn’t coached at an elite team.

“He hasn’t coached a big team, he hasn’t coached at a big football club like United where there’s so much expected of Manchester United. Whoever you’re playing against, it doesn’t matter. He’s never been at a top club. He’s coached a club for two years out of the last 10 years.

“How have United behind the scenes come to the conclusion that this man is going to be the right man for six or seven months? It baffles me. The players are lost on the football pitch.

“The first 20 minutes I was surprised they played really well, they were comfortable on the ball, [Paul] Pogba up front looked alright. His subs have worked the last few weeks don’t get me wrong but it was a deflated team.

“As much as you can have a go at United today, they’re playing against possibly one of the best teams we’ve seen. In the second half, the players looked lost. They looked like they didn’t have a clue what they were doing.”