MX23RW : Thursday, December 12 22:13:23| >> :60:2835:2835:

Paul Merson questions Manchester United's Ralf Rangnick appointment

Paul Merson questions Man United's Rangnick appointment
© Reuters
Ralf Rangnick's lack of experience in England may harm his chances of success with Manchester United, according to ex-Arsenal man Paul Merson.

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson is not convinced that Ralf Rangnick is the right man to help pull the Red Devils out of their rut.

Rangnick is expected to be appointed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's short-term successor for the remainder of the campaign, after which he will move into a two-year consultancy role.

News of the 63-year-old's appointment has been met with widespread excitement from the Man United fanbase, but Merson is worried that his lack of experience in England could hinder his chances of success at Old Trafford.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Merson said: "I'm hearing people going how great he is - but he's never managed in England, he's never managed one of the top teams in the world. Why is that? Why has no one else come in for him when managers have been up?

"I hear great things about him, people saying he's going to press and he's hard-working and he's turned lesser teams into real contenders. But that's a lot different, getting a Schalke or a Hoffenheim to a certain stage.

"When you're asked to go to one of the biggest clubs in the world and they already have superstars and you've got to make them play. It's all right at Schalke and Hoffenheim because they're going to listen and they want to get there. These [United] players are there and you have got to get them to go again.

"I think this is going to be difficult, this is going to be a lot harder than what people think. What I'm hearing is it's like a gimme, he'll come in and that will be it. That Man Utd are lucky. I'm not sure about that."

Rangnick's first game in charge of Man United could come against Merson's former club Arsenal on December 2.

ID:471337:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect2835:
Written by
Ben Knapton

Next Manchester United manager - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Paul Merson

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Ed Woodward watches on during the Premier League game between Huddersfield Town and Manchester United on May 5, 2019
Read Next:
Woodward 'will not be involved in choosing next Man United boss'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!