Manchester United Undergoes Major Changes

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has affirmed that former interim boss Ralf Rangnick’s assessment of the club needing “open-heart” surgery was spot on. Ten Hag, who succeeded Rangnick in 2022, acknowledged the accuracy of Rangnick’s diagnosis of the club’s deep issues. Rangnick, who now manages Austria had led United to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League but only won 11 out of 29 matches.

Ten Hag recently extended his contract by a year. He emphasized the accuracy of Rangnick’s evaluation in an interview with Dutch newspaper AD Sportwereld. He stated, “Rangnick was absolutely right. We have been working very hard on this for two years. It is a thorough, very complex operation. And I knew when I started that it was going to be a tough job.”

Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in the club last December, United have seen significant changes. Key appointments at the board level include Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell. Additionally, the club has invested £50m to upgrade their training ground. In recent transfers, forward Joshua Zirkzee and defender Leny Yoro have joined from Bologna and Lille, respectively.

Ten Hag also expressed interest in Bayern Munich and Netherlands center-back Matthijs de Ligt, whom he previously coached at Ajax. However, he clarified that United’s scouting department recommended De Ligt. Forward Jadon Sancho, who last played for United in August 2023 and spent the latter part of the previous season on loan at Dortmund is now available for selection. Ten Hag remarked, “Everyone can make a mistake.”

Sancho and Yoro both started in a friendly match where goals from Amad Diallo and Joe Hugill led United to a 2-0 victory over Rangers at Murrayfield. Ten Hag praised Manchester United’s performance, stating, “The standard was much better, we were much more on the front foot. It was enjoyable to watch.”