Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has admitted that their fixture against Chelsea being moved forward is “not good” as the German coach didn’t think it could happen. It comes as the fixture was moved from Sunday, May 15 to Thursday, April 28.
The Premier League clash was set to be the penultimate game of the season, but with the Blues booking their place in the FA Cup final the day before, it forced a change of plans. There they will face Liverpool in a repeat of this season’s Carabao Cup final, where Thomas Tuchel’s men lost out on penalties.
Discussing the clash with the Merseyside outfit, the manager said in his post-match press conference: “I don't care about their other titles. We lost, of course, the final. We gave everything in that final as you know, it was a big match that went until the very last penalty. Of course, we were unlucky and lost it. We want to turn things around. It will not give us the Carabao Cup title back but we are here and were here last season in the FA Cup final and that means an unbelievable lot to us.”
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Their progression does, however, mean there will be further fixture congestion for Chelsea as well as the need to change their preparation. With the Manchester United game being moved to next Thursday, it will mean a different approach to the original fixture.
The same can be said of United, with interim boss Rangnick claiming the fixture change is “not good” for his side. Speaking to the club's official website, he said: “The fact that the Chelsea game was changed from the original fixture is something I didn’t think could happen.
“Normally in Germany, the last two games of the season have to be played on the very same day and with the same kick-off time. Obviously it’s different here.
“For us it’s not good because we have a number of injured players so it would have been better for the Chelsea game to be played two weeks later when it was originally planned. But anyway we have to deal with it and hopefully by then we have two or three of those injured players available again.”
It’s a move that could play into Chelsea’s hands as much as it could go against them. With three fixtures in the next nine days, it could be a tough period for the Blues, who may need to ride out their form until clearer waters are ahead.
