Ralf Rangnick is still waiting for his phone to ring.

“I’m pretty sure he has my phone number!” says Manchester United caretaker manager sky sportsstanding within the inner confines of a silent Old Trafford late Friday night.

“He still has a few games to play with Ajax, we still have three games to play here. Whenever he wants to talk to me and exchange our opinions, I’m more than happy to do so.”

Erik ten Hag was named more than a week ago as the man who will usher United into a new era, one where they are expected to be back for the Premier League title and the major trophies, and one that hasn’t even made the first provisional stages yet.

It’s hard to believe that almost 10 years and four permanent managers have passed since Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement – the last time United were English football’s top dog.

At present, they are further than ever from enjoying the same past glories – who are set to end this season with their lowest Premier League points tally. But Rangnick, despite admitting the club needs ‘open heart surgery’, is optimistic the process of getting back to the top might not take long, provided the right changes are made.

“Knowing that Erik will be the manager, with a good recruitment process and bringing in the right players, I’m very confident that the fans and the media will be able to see a better team and hopefully in the end a better one. position in the league,” he said.

“There are quite a few good examples in the league with when Jurgen Klopp came to Liverpool, Pep Guardiola to Manchester City, Thomas Tuchel came to Chelsea – yes, he came in the middle of the season and inherited a top quality team, but you still have to win the Champions League.

“If you know what you’re looking for, the profiles of the different positions you need, it shouldn’t take too long, hopefully.”

Monday, May 2, 7:00 p.m.

Kick off 8:00 p.m.

This is where Rangnick will bring his expertise during his two-year consultancy role while managing the Austria national team.

The 63-year-old wasn’t ready to discuss his new job or how the two would be combined in the future – nor would he offer an opinion on whether Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored eight of the team’s last 9 league goals, could fit into Ten Hag’s demanding style of play.

“That’s a question you have to ask Erik ten Hag,” he said, after Ronaldo saved United again on Thursday night by scoring the equalizer in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea. “He has shown that he can still be an essential part of this team, but it is obvious that the team needs more attackers. There should be two or three new attackers next season, that’s enough. obvious.”

Rangnick wants United to find and develop “future top star players” who can fit into the habits of the club rather than buying a player who is already the finished product, as they have been keen to do in recent years.

The caretaker boss believes that combining this approach with consistent recruitment at every opportunity can, once again, bring United closer to the best teams in the country.

“If you think of Manchester City and Liverpool, they brought [players] every transfer window,” he said. “They made the team stronger, they brought in players who weren’t so popular back when they signed and became the top two teams of the world.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they play the Champions League final in a few weeks. It shows that it’s possible it could happen and it wouldn’t necessarily take three, four years to do it.”

Ironically, United will face Brentford on Monday Night Football, live on Sky Sports, a club renowned for their work in the transfer market. The Bees have risen to the top of the top flight with their use of Moneyball-style data to drive their player recruitment – making just four signings last summer to help them stay comfortably in the Premier League for a second season.

Rangnick rightly points to the size difference between United and Brentford, which must be taken into consideration when both recruit players and their approach, but agrees each club must follow an ‘idea’.

“No matter the club, it’s always necessary and important to have an idea,” he said. “You have to know how you want to play, what kind of profiles do we need because if you don’t you’re always looking for the needle in the haystack.

“That’s what I meant when I said ‘open heart surgery.’ together and hopefully bring in the best players possible.

“They should also fit together, that’s also a problem, it’s not just about bringing in players for defence, midfield and attack, it’s also important that you know the personality of the players. players and that they really fit and are able to meet the standards of this great club.”

In the meantime, as United prepare to play their final home game of the season, Rangnick will continue to wait to share his insights with the man responsible for rebuilding United.

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