Rangnick admits he doesn’t know role of Man Utd technical director Fletcher
Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has admitted he doesn’t know the exact role of technical director Darren Fletcher but says “it’s good to have him on board”.
Fletcher, 38, was appointed to his new position in March last year as part of a shake-up that saw John Murtough promoted to football director.
The former United midfielder has sat alongside Rangnick in the dugout and taken an active role in training sessions, tasks that are usually assigned to a first-team coach.
An XI of PL regulars who began the season out in the cold
Rangnick has praised Fletcher for his contributions, while conceding he is ignorant to the Scot’s exact duties within the club.
Speaking ahead of United’s clash with Leeds United on Sunday, Rangnick said: “Well, I can only talk about what I’ve experienced in the last 11 to 12 weeks. He [Fletcher] has always been part of almost every training session and each game.
“Whenever I have had a question about what he thinks, because he obviously knows the players, he has known them for a long time. I could always, and will always, ask him for his opinion. So it is good to have him in the team.
“What is his role in with regard to the club? I don’t really know, to be honest. I can only tell you what is happening in the training sessions, around the training sessions and around the games. In those areas, it is good to have him on board.”
When asked if he was prepared for a hostile atmosphere at Elland Road, Rangnick replied: “Well I’m prepared yes, but it’s not so important if I’m prepared, it is more important that the players are. I’m sure they are.
“We have a high level of experience in the team, and it won’t be the first time that they have a sold-out stadium against a team where the supporters don’t like us that much. I didn’t know until a week ago that this is one of the biggest rivalries in the Premier League, I thought it would rather be Liverpool or Manchester City, but that doesn’t matter.
“For us, it is an important game for both teams, Leeds need points in the relegation battle, and we need points in the race for the fourth place.
“For both teams it is an important one, and in the end, it is a question of who has more energy, who is more disciplined on the pitch and whose game plan is the better one.”
