Rangnick explains Man Utd priority to catch Liverpool, City
Ralf Rangnick has explained how Manchester United must “go again” to compete with Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Having finished second last season, United were tipped by many to be contenders for the Premier League crown this term, for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
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But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has since been sacked and the Red Devils are now 19 points behind Manchester City and 16 behind Liverpool, as they face a battle to qualify for the Champions League.
United have spent over £1bn on players since Ferguson left the club and interim boss Ralf Rangnick believes there has been a huge gulf in the transfer successes of the club in comparison to their rivals.
“It’s a question of continuity and consistency, knowing exactly how I want to play as a club and a manager,” Rangnick said, “of having a clear transfer strategy and signing players who fit into that system. That’s what both clubs have been doing in the last five or six years.
“If I look at their transfer policy and their transfer success, they haven’t had many players who after one or two years people would have said maybe that wasn’t the right signing. Both clubs have been pretty successful and this is where Manchester United have to go again.
“Under Sir Alex they were there, but since then there have been quite a few different managers and to close the gap to those two clubs, you have to make sure … that the recruitment is right. You have to be quick enough in the transfer market, knowing the market and signing the right players in the right moment.”
United could be out of the top four by the time they take on City in the Manchester derby on Sunday, with Arsenal – who sit just two points behind Rangnick’s side – playing Watford in the earlier kick-off
And Rangnick knows very well the importance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
“Financially, everybody knows what that would mean: that you would have less money available for your budget,” he added. “It would be better for all the players if you play Champions League next season and it would also make negotiations with any new players easier.”
