MANCHESTER United’s caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick was left fuming on Tuesday night after his side put up yet another poor performance.
Rangnick’s side were totally overrun by Liverpool at Anfield, the hosts winning 4-0 to go to the top of the Premier League table.
Luis Diaz scored early, with Mohamed Salah adding two goals either side of Sadio Mane’s strike.
The result propelled Liverpool to the summit of the Premier League, two points clear of Manchester City who face Brighton on Wednesday night.
Rangnick, who will stay on at United as a consultant after this season, was apparently displeased with his players’ limp surrender and promised that the squad would undergo a radical revamp in the summer.
“This team needs to be rebuilt, it is clear,” the German said during his post-match interview. “A game like today showed in a very drastic way that this rebuild is necessary.
“We just have to accept they (Liverpool) are six years ahead of us. When you compare that squad that Liverpool has with the one Jurgen (Klopp) inherited when he came six years ago.
“There will be a rebuild for sure, that was obvious in the first three or four weeks for me. There could be six, seven, eight, maybe ten new players.
“Liverpool only needed two or three transfer windows and if you know what you’re looking for it doesn’t have to take four or five years.”
Rangnick refused to take any responsibility for the defeat, insisting that the players did not follow his gameplan.
“It’s embarrassing, it’s completely disappointing. In a way also humiliating,” the former Schalke manager fumed.
“I don’t think a different formation at the start would have changed anything. The first goal we conceded, it was not part of the plan to be that high up and concede a counter-attack after five minutes.”
Rangnick broke down the other goals, pointing out how his players fell into Liverpool’s trap.
He explained: “The first half, we were just not good enough. We did not win any first ball or second balls. We were second best in all relevant areas.
“Second half we changed a centre-back with Jadon Sancho. The first 25 minutes we were better and had pressure on the ball at times. Had two or three moments, but the third goal killed the game off.
“For the third goal it came from a ball we should not play. A pressing invitation – 12 yards into Anthony Elanga, who is a player for behind their back line. It is inviting them for those moments and six seconds later the ball was in our net.”
The defeat dealt a blow to United’s already fading hopes of finishing fourth to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. They are sixth, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have a game in hand.
