RALF RANGNICK sent out a fresh warning to Erik ten Hag after claiming he was “right” about Manchester United all along.
The Red Devils have continued to struggle after the German interim boss left the club at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Despite the FA Cup won in May, Man United finished eighth, a record-low, in the Premier League last term.
And after splashing out £205m in the summer window, the problems have spread into the new campaign, with two defeats following their marginal opening day win over Fulham.
In fact, United have won just five of their last 15 Premier League matches since their 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in March.
Now former caretaker Rangnick, who replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021, has arrived to rub salt in the wounds, doubling down on the ‘open heart surgery’ remarks he made before his exit.
He told Norwegian news outlet TV2: “I probably made that statement when the season was almost over about two years ago.
“It is probably only two or three weeks since Ten Hag was asked the same thing.
“Then he said that I was right in my analysis. I don’t know how many players they have signed since, but it looks like I was right.”
Rangnick originally made the comments in April 2022 after United slipped to a 4-0 defeat at Anfield in one of his final matches at the helm.
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The now Austrian boss said back then: “We need positive energy for the new team and the new manager.
“It’s not the manager’s quality – it’s changing all the other things that have brought the club into a position we are in right now.
“The good thing – one of the few – is it’s crystal clear. You don’t even need glasses to see the problems.
“Now it’s only about how you can solve them. Not minor cosmetic things. This is an open heart operation. If everyone realises this has to happen and works together, it doesn’t need to take years.
“It can happen within one year. Other clubs have shown it’s possible within three transfer windows.”
Many United fans agreed with Rangnick and believed the club were starting to make positive steps this summer, with the overhaul of the ‘elite’ old guard in charge in senior management.
United appointed Man City chief Omar Berrada as the club’s new CEO in January and Jason Wilcox as technical director in April.
The owners paid a £10m compensation fee for Dan Ashworth from Newcastle, making him the new sporting director at Old Trafford.
And just last week, Ashworth, 53, hired Sam Erith as performance director until the end of the season.
