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Manchester United Hiring Ralf Rangnick Is 'Stupid' And They Should Have Hired Michael Carrick

Manchester United Hiring Ralf Rangnick Is 'Stupid' And They Should Have Hired Michael Carrick

United are about to sign Rangnick until the end of the season but one ex-manager believes they should have hired Carrick for the role.

Ralf Rangnick's appointment as Manchester United interim manager had been called 'stupid' by Harry Redknapp, who thinks the right man for the role is already at the club.

United found themselves without a manager after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last Sunday, following the 4-1 embarrassing defeat to Watford.

The club initially appointed Michael Carrick as their caretaker boss, with an important Champions League game against Villarreal just two days away, and set about looking for an interim boss to take them until the end of the season.

Rangnick is set to be that man, with the news expected to be confirmed once his work permit has been agreed, but Redknapp feels the club should have just stuck with Carrick.

"The fact United have brought in Ralf Rangnick as an interim to replace the interim, before they get the man they really want, is ridiculous," Redknapp wrote in his column in the Sun.

"I’ve never heard anything so stupid in my life, whichever way you look at it.

Carrick took charge against Villarreal. Image: PA Images
Carrick took charge against Villarreal. Image: PA Images

"If they wanted Mauricio Pochettino, as we were led to believe, then there were ways and means to make it happen now," the former Tottenham Hotspur boss added on United's reported number one target for the permanent role.

"And if they had to wait for him, they shouldn’t have pushed Michael aside and put someone above him for a few months. What does that say? We’ve got no faith in you?"

Carrick oversaw a win in his first game in charge on Tuesday night and, after the game against Chelsea on Sunday, could still be in charge against Arsenal on Thursday night.

Whilst there were signs of improvement earlier in the week, United fans would no doubt argue that giving a former player the job based off a decent result in Europe is exactly why they're in this situation in the first place.

Solskjaer's famous win against PSG in 2019 is exactly what led to him being given the job full time, despite a poor end to the 2018/19 season.

Pochettino is thought to be United's number one choice going forward. Image: PA Images
Pochettino is thought to be United's number one choice going forward. Image: PA Images

However Redknapp still believes that Carrick 'knowing the club' is enough for United to not need Rangnick, adding, "The thing is, he [Carrick] knows United inside out.

"He’s got a great footballing brain — you don’t play the game how he did unless you understand it.

"If they needed to bring in anyone before a manager was appointed, then get a coach alongside him, because they were a man down after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left.

"They should have just gone for someone experienced, but let Michael run the show until then."

There was initially talk that United could get Pochettino as their permanent boss now, part way through the campaign, if PSG could get Zinedine Zidane in as his replacement.

However those rumours soon changed and it's more likely that the Argentine will be available at the end of the season, when he'd likely have at least won Ligue 1.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Manchester United, Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick, Premier League, Harry Redknapp