For team manager Ralf Rangnick, qualifying for the new Champions League season is the last realistic goal of the season for England’s record-breaking champions Manchester United.
“This is the best possible result that we can still achieve,” said the German coach before the Red Devils’ Premier League catch-up game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday, with a view to the dry spell of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. in the past weeks.
Rangnick also considers participating in the premier class to be more important than success in the upcoming Champions League round of 16 against Spanish title holders Atletico Madrid: “It won’t be easy, but hopefully we’ll make it through. But our goal is fourth place in of the league.”
Rangnick also hopes that the charisma of the European top tier will make it easier to find the future team manager: “Only when we’ve secured Champions League qualification can we sign a new man.”
Man United are fifth ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion, a point behind fourth-placed West Ham United. The gap to leaders and defending champions Manchester City has grown from 12 to 23 points since Rangnick’s predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired.
From Rangnick’s point of view, improvements after the playful breaks, most recently in the embarrassing fourth-round loss in the FA Cup at second division FC Middlesbrough and the subsequent draw in the championship at bottom FC Burnley and against FC Southampton, are not to be expected in the short term. “We give up these leads too easily. That obviously has an effect on the players’ belief that they are still people and not robots,” said the 63-year-old: “Our next step has to be, our quality and our focus physically, mentally and tactically.”
Rangnick has now consulted the sports psychologist Sascha Lense, who was brought to Old Trafford last December, to work through any blockages. The former second division professional should bring about changes in the players in one-on-one talks.