Paul Merson believes Manchester United were “lazy” to appoint Ralf Rangnick as they need a “special” manager to replace him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was United’s manager for around three years. He was sacked in November after a string of poor results.
The club’s board opted against appointing his permanent replacement right away. Instead, Rangnick was brought in to lead the team until the summer.
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The Red Devils have only won two of their last five games under Rangnick. On Monday night, he suffered his first defeat as his side were beaten 1-0 by Wolves.
Bruno Lage’s men were comfortably the better team on the night as Man Utd were far from their best. Rangnick said post-match that he was “very disappointed” with his side’s performance.
Merson has claimed that appointing Rangnick was the “easy option” for United:
“Everyone was telling me Rangnick was the one, but he’s not worked with these players before. He’s not worked with this standard of player,” Merson wrote for Sky Sports.
“It’s alright going to a lower club and saying I’m going to do this; these players want to get to there and will listen. These players are there already.
“Now you need someone to come in and be special.
“I think Manchester United have been lazy. They have taken the easy option in not appointing a full-time manager. This is Manchester United. It is the biggest club in the world. Go and do something. Bringing someone in for six months is just lazy.
“Talking about what he did at RB Leipzig or what he did at Schalke, they were two clubs down at the bottom. Of course, Leipzig are the club they are now, but it is not like he’s come in with a record of winning a lorryload of stuff.
“Then everyone goes on about the pressing. We were pressing in 1989. The great Everton team of the 80s, the great Liverpool teams of the 70s and 80s, they were all pressing. They were all closing people down.
“When you watch this United side, you can’t tell me they press.
“Moutinho is 35 years old, and he ran the show at Old Trafford. Not one person tackled him in the whole game. I mean, seriously!”
Merson went onto suggest that United “really missed the boat” with Antonio Conte:
“When you look at Tottenham now, it was just lazy from United that they didn’t go for him.
“Spurs are a completely different team now. He’s come in and he’s spoken, and how can you not listen to a guy like Conte. He’s won the league everywhere he’s been. He comes in and he doesn’t mess about.”
He continued: “They’ve got money so go and buy a manager. They buy wingers for £70m to £80m. They give players who are 36 £400k per week. If you are doing that, go out and buy a manager.
“A manager is the biggest thing at any football club, and we’ve seen that with Chelsea when they brought in Thomas Tuchel last season. He comes in and they win the Champions League.
“It is one of the things I just don’t get with football. It’s all about money, transfers and bringing in players, but nobody ever pays the big bucks to go and get a manager.
“If they do, everyone is talking about how much they cost, but if you haven’t got the manager you aren’t winning anything, in my opinion. Manchester United need to act and fast.”
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