Manchester United have been warned that unless five or six players are moved on, it doesn’t matter who the man in the dugout is.
Ralf Rangnick is set to go into his first window at the helm, having been named as the interim replacement for sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
In his first four Premier League matches in charge, the German is unbeaten, winning three of those games, including Thursday night’s victory vs Burnley.
There have been genuine signs of improvement under the new head coach, but some of the old frailties are still present and clear.
The Red Devils limped to an undeserved draw against relegation-threatened Newcastle, whilst they once again failed to keep a clean sheet at home to the Clarets.
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Rangnick has hinted that January could be a quieter month in terms of incomings, however, there has been speculation about a number of departures.
Anthony Martial has made it publicly clear that he hopes to leave, while Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani are just a few of the players set to become free agents at the end of the season.
Former Manchester City Nigel de Jong, speaking before the 3-1 win over Burnley, said that Old Trafford bosses need to rid the club of players who have too much power in the dressing room.
“Ralf Rangnick is obviously the man in the dugout for Manchester United right now, and it looks like they’ll bring someone else in on a more permanent basis in the summer,” said De Jong.
“But if I’m really being honest, I’ve been watching United closely now for the last three years, and it’s nothing to do with the manager. Louis van Gaal couldn’t do it, Jose Mourinho couldn’t do it, the problem is down to the recruitment of players.
“Recruitment of players is second to none when it comes down to shaping a team and its DNA.
“If you give too much power to certain players, it’s going to be toxic for your whole squad.
“United have got to get rid of at least five or six players in that team. Someone needs to come in and say’“listen, you’ve had a good spell, you’ve picked up some good money, but you’ve got to go’.
He continued: “They need to get rid of that layer of players who decide everything within the club.
“The man in charge of the team is irrelevant until they deal with that issue. It doesn’t matter what kind of manager you bring in because things will always go back to that same problem.
“Too many players are trying to take over things. At this stage, I don’t really care who might or might not come in and replace Rangnick, because they’re going to have the same problems Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Mourinho and Van Gaal have all had.
“What I would like to see is the board moving some players on in the summer, even if it’s just on loan. Get them out of the club and pinpoint exactly who has a future at the club.”
