Gary Neville has told Sky Sports he is happy for Ralf Rangnick to ‘suffer’ in the short term if it means Manchester United get the long term future right.
Rangnick is set to take a behind the scenes role as a consultant at the end of the season, and Neville says this is going to be crucial for United.
The way the club was run during Ed Woodward’s spell as chief executive was widely seen as the reason the club are set to go nine years without a Premier League title, and five without a trophy.
For United to be successful, the club have to be organised, and Woodward’s replacement Richard Arnold is keen to delegate responsibility, rather than try to influence footballing decisions, The Times reports.
Neville believes Rangnick’s true value will emerge during the next two years. He said: “Hhis position as a coach is short-term; his position as assisting the club, constructing their new methodology and structure moving forward is a longer term position for two years.
“I’d rather him get that bit right; I’d rather suffer in the short-term for the longer-term perspective being right. He has got good experience around building structures in football clubs and Manchester United do need that.”
Listen to Rangnick, says Neville
Neville expects Rangnick to have real influence when it comes to appointing Manchester United’s next boss.
He says Rangnick’s time working with the current squad will help him recommend not only who gets the job, but which players are right for the club. This will help United avoid some of the contract decisions made in the past.
Neville said: “I think he will have a say in who gets the job because what he has got is a real good view of the characters, personalities, performance levels and training levels of the current group of players so he is in a strong position to advise.
“He is probably in the strongest position to advise because he is having day-to-day contact with them. He is seeing how they cope with disappointment, how they cope with atmospheres, how they cope with big games, how they cope with training; can they meet the demands of the club? Have they got the quality?”
United’s next run of fixtures will teach him plenty about United’s players, with games against Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool over the next month.
But whatever the results, as Neville points out, this is all short-term, compared to the long-term success United are aiming for under the new manager, whoever it may be.
Rangnick’s current focus is on the players, but he will certainly have a view on which kind of manager will be best suited for his recommended style of football and the players in the squad.
The Athletic report United are set to move ahead with the manager chase over the coming weeks, with Erik Ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino the two clear frontrunners.
Rangnick’s preference is said to be Erik Ten Hag, The Telegraph report, which also claimed Pochettino is admired by several United stars.
- Three things Michael Carrick will have learned from Andrey Santos’ Man Utd debut, key test passed
- I backed Jacob Devaney to break through for Man Utd this summer, Michael Carrick now approves
- Man Utd have a sneaky breakout contender in brilliant wonderkid after Wrexham game, he’s unique
- Donald Trump will be at World Cup final, but US president’s Man Utd ‘connection’ is deeper than some might think
- Analysing how Marcus Rashford performed in England’s 6-4 win over France
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
