Ralf Rangnick is the seventh man tasked with turning Manchester United's fortunes around post-Alex Ferguson, but Richard Keys is one punter who thinks the problems at the club lie far deeper than the manager.
Keys hosted beIN Sports' coverage of the clash between United and Arsenal on Thursday night, and he suggested that the infamous "Manchester United DNA" must be torn up before the club can move forward.
Richard Keys and Andy Gray unsure on Manchester United future
It's safe to say that Manchester United's search for a successor to Alex Ferguson has been less than successful. David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and briefly Michael Carrick, have all had time in the dugout since Ferguson's departure - and none have lasted longer than three years.
German powerhouse Ralf Rangnick has now been appointed at Old Trafford in an interim role until the end of the season, with a view to moving upstairs to a consultant's role after he passes the baton to manager #8 of the post-Ferguson era.
Questions remain, though, about just how much a manager can do to change a rotting culture at the club. Nostalgia for the reign of Alex Ferguson was a large reason Solskjaer lasted in charge as long as he did, and there have been suggestions that Rangnick's arrival marks a strong move to step away from the current way the club is run.
He may not be calling the shots on the sideline tonight, but Ralf Rangnick is at Old Trafford 👀 pic.twitter.com/hmUuJds4UH
— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) December 2, 2021
Rangnick was present at Old Trafford on Thursday for Manchester United's game against Arsenal. The ever-lively duo of Richard Keys and Andy Gray hosted beIN Sports' coverage of the game, and Keys in particular suggested that the club's obsession with the past is the first major issue for Rangnick to tackle.
📊 @richardajkeys and Andy Gray take a look at Rangnick's managerial record and potential successors to the interim role...#beINPL #MUNARS
Watch Now 👉 https://t.co/hkoevnV6B4 pic.twitter.com/0LLVh8dhZa— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) December 2, 2021
They have spent the last decade living in the past. Van Gaal tried to change it and they didn't have it. Mourinho wanted to change it and the 'Class of 92' reared up and said 'no, no.'
You remember that quote from Gary Neville - 'never again should a coach be appointed at Manchester United who doesn't understand our DNA.'
I think quite the opposite is required, and maybe that is why it will work. He should throw all of that away now and say 'everything has changed'.
Jurgen Klopp doesn't play 4-4-2 at Liverpool the way Bob Paisley did. Jurgen Klopp started again and look what has followed.
Andy Gray agreed with Keys, saying that the success of the Ferguson era could never be matched.
It will be intriguing to see how much of a change comes to Manchester United's fortunes under Ralf Rangnick. Given the German's reputation for turning fortunes around at the clubs he has managed, we can certainly expect change of some sort before he moves out of the manager's hotseat in May.
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