'He's got my phone number' - Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick says Erik ten Hag can call him anytime
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ByEurosport
Published 02/05/2022 at 11:12 GMT
Ralf Rangnick believes newly-appointed Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag can be a success at the club and says he can phone him whenever he needs advice. Rangnick believes that players brought into Manchester United from now on must "really fit and are able to meet the standards of this big club" if they are to rise up the Premier League table.
Ten Hag thinking about Man Utd and very pleased with agreement
Ralf Rangnick, who will stay at Manchester United until 2024 as a consultant, says he will be available to Erik ten Hag whenever the Dutchman needs him.
Ten Hag will depart Ajax and become United boss in the summer on a three-year deal with the option of a further year.
Rangnick, who has been announced as manager of the Austria national team from the summer, says Ten Hag can call him anytime.
"I'm pretty sure he's got my phone number!" he said.
"He's got another couple of games to play with Ajax, we have another three games to play here.
"Whenever he wants to speak with me and exchange our opinions, I'm more than happy to do that."
Rangnick has backed Ten Hag to deliver greater success than he has at United.
He said: "Knowing Erik will be the manager, with a good recruitment process and bringing in the right players, I'm very positive the supporters and the media will be able to see a better team and, at the end, hopefully a better position in the league.
"There are quite a few good examples in the league with when Jurgen Klopp came to Liverpool, Pep Guardiola to Manchester City, Thomas Tuchel came to Chelsea.
"Yes, he came in the middle of the season and inherited a top-quality squad, but you still need to win the Champions League.
"If you know what you're looking for, the profiles of the different positions you need, it shouldn't hopefully take too long."
Rangnick says United need two or three new strikers next season to complement Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored eight of United's last nine goals in the Premier League.
He added: "He's showed that he can still be a vital part of this team, but it's obvious the team needs some more strikers.
"There should be two or three new strikers next season, it's pretty obvious."
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Rangnick backs new boss Ten Hag to deliver 'improvement'
Rangnick also clarified what he meant when he said United needed "open heart surgery" to fix their problems.
"No matter which club, it is always necessary and important that you need an idea," he said.
"You need to know how you want to play, what kind of profiles do we need because if you do not do that, you're always looking for the needle in the haystack.
"This is what I meant when I said 'open heart surgery'. I don't think it's enough to do some minor corrections and amendments. I think it's important to see the big picture and then hopefully bring in the best possible players.
"They should also fit together, this is also an issue, it is not only about bringing some players for defence, midfield and up front, it's also important you get to know the personality of the players and that they really fit and are able to meet the standards of this big club."
Manchester United play Brentford in their final Premier League home game of the season on Monday evening.
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