Manchester United had one last chance to save the season by moving forward intheir2021-22 UEFA Champions League campaign. However, any aspirations they had are over now after Atletico Madrid beat them at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils will finish trophyless for the fifth season in a row, which explains how muchthey’ve been struggling for a long time. This season was supposed to see United get back to European or domestic prominence but none of those things have happened.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired early in the season but the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the summer has not worked out as expected. Manchester United have once again let their fans down, which is why club legendsRio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes made their voicesheardafter yet another frustration.
Paul Scholes takes shot at Ralf Rangnick after Man United’s UCL loss
Manchester United might be a giant but their best days are far behind them. If someone knows a thing or two about the club’s glory days, that is Paul Scholes. The former midfielder has weighed in on the team’s loss and suggested that Rangnick is fully responsible for it.
“It comes from leadership. It comes from a coach demanding that from his players and gets that from his players,” Scholes told BT Sport, viaThe Mirror. “I don’t want to keep having a go at Ralf Rangnick, he seems really nice and comes across well in interviews, he’s very honest. But, how he was chosen to be manager of this club for six months until the end of the season, I’ll never know. The coach is a massive part of it. This isn’t a terrible group of players. I think if you give this group of players a structure and way of playing, there’s some real talent in the squad.
“They’re not as talented as the teams above them (in the Premier League ), we know that. But, the very first thing this club needs to do, to get anywhere near winning the league again, is get a proper coach.”
Scholes has also suggested that there is not a difference between Atletico and United’s squads, but it’s in their managers: “Atletico are not a better team than Manchester United but they’ve got a better experienced coach,” Scholes said. “If he [Simeone] was coaching Man United they win that game.”
Rio Ferdinand says not even Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland would solve United’s problems
Ferdinand has also shared his thoughts about United’s embarrassing elimination but he claimed that the problems won’t be solved overnight by elite playersof the likes ofKylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland. Instead, the legendary defender believes the problem starts from the top.
“If you bring in Mbappe and Haaland this summer, Manchester United aren’t winning the league. It doesn’t matter who they bring in,” Ferdinand told BT Sport, via ESPN. Besides, he pointed out that it’s not easy for the club to bring a manager because of the pressure that coaching United implies.
“There’s so much work to be done. I understand what Man United means to us, the emblem, it means so much. But, if you’re looking to come here, it’s a great project to be a part of, but I think managers might look at others clubs because there’s less pressure, the spotlight isn’t on them as much,” he said, as quoted by The Mirror.
“I think behind the scenes the club will be doing their work in trying to find the next person for that hot seat. It’s not easy. The managers you probably want are all in jobs. But that’s part of football, you’ve got to find the right person,” Ferdinand continued. Additionally, he noted that while the Atletico squad would do anything Simeone asks them to do, the United side has much more doubts.
“The Atletico team had a group of reliable men that would go out there and do whatever the manager has asked them. They understood the job at hand and worked together as a team. Whereas, United are all looking at each other wondering ‘who’s going to pull a magic trick out of the hat? Who’s going to pull us out of danger? Ronaldo did it at the weekend but who’s next?’”
Whenever the likes of Ferdinand and Scholes have something to say about the club where they shone, you listen. Especially in times like these, when the team leaves so much to be desired. Both of them have fair points, Manchester United have continuously hitrock bottom since Sir Alex Ferguson left but it’s time for them to make significant changes and get back toglory days.
