Ralf Rangnick has been brutally honest about the frailties that are currently residing behind the scenes at Manchester United.
The Red Devils' off-the-field issues have come to the fore this season with the hierarchy taking the brunt of the criticism. Fans have voiced their displeasure about the Glazer family and how the club is being run.
This was highlighted at the weekend when fans staged a protest at Old Trafford prior to the 3-2 victory over Norwich City. And if there was ever a question mark over whether their grievances were legitimate, Rangnick's assessment of the current hierarchy has eliminated those doubts.
The interim boss spoke about a wide range of topics ahead of their clash with Liverpool and didn't hold back when talking about United's structure, or lack of.
Rangnick reckons United should adopt a model that is used in Germany where there are two specialised roles in the recruitment and scouting departments with staff who have been there for a long period of time allowing them to have the expertise to make decisions that are in the club's best interests.
The German reckons the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool follow a similar blueprint and have "smart" people in these positions at their respective clubs - unlike United which is something he thinks is an "issue."
He said: “In Germany, we have a head coach and then there is usually a minimum of two skilled people continuously in the club on a longer-term basis responsible for recruitment, scouting, and any daily operation.”
"They also bring in the right and best possible head coach for the team. This still hasn't got a big tradition here and so the job of a sporting director or director of football - only a few clubs have that.
"I know that for the future, and I think even more so for a big club like Manchester United, you can't put all the whole responsibility on the shoulder of one person - on the manager. I'm not sure if this can be dealt with by one person, no matter how good he is.
“I know Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea also have smart people who take care of recruitment, scouting, the medical department… I think this is also an issue for our club, where they have to pay attention to.”
"I told the board members about what I have experienced so far, and what I think are the important things we have to pay attention to, and where we have to make sure that we maybe get better at."
Rangnick singled out Liverpool for how well-run they are ahead of their Tuesday night trip to Anfield. The United interim boss praised the Reds for how they've recruited under Klopp which has turned into one of the best teams in the world.
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He added: "With Liverpool, it's clear why they are playing as aggressive as they do - it's since Jürgen arrived. If you compare the squad that he inherited six years ago and compare it with the present, I think there are maybe four or five players still there.”
"All the others signed since then have been signed exactly under those premises: how do we want to play? They have to be able and willing to run and sprint a lot. They have to be physical. They have to be technical. They have to be clinical.
"The profile for each position [at Liverpool] has been clear and that's why they are where they are. And, here at Manchester United, this hasn't been the case with every change of manager."
