Rangnick offers key advice for United's future

The German coach’s six-month spell concluded with a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, and after explaining in detail where United went wrong at Selhurst Park, Rangnick offered important insight into what is needed next.

“For me, it’s about [understanding] why do players move to a certain club,” the 63-year-old began, talking in his post-match press conference.

“Apart from quality, talent, the physicality that you need for this league, and mentality, I think the most important thing is that we find players for who [here] is the best next sporting step [for them].

“They shouldn’t want to come because it’s Manchester United and maybe they get a good contract here, it should be for developing their careers and taking the next best possible step in their careers. That happens and you have a completely different level of motivation and energy.”

Rangnick explained that this advice followed success with such a strategy at his former clubs, namely RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg, for whom he acted as director of football.

“This is what we did at Red Bull with both clubs and I think we did well and fared well with that,” he explained.

“This [at United] is a different level of quality that we need, compared to what we had in the last years at Leipzig. They won the Cup [DFB Pokal] yesterday and they were 1-0 down and they could only do it as a team. This is important: that we build a team that really deserves the name 'team'. Even in hard times, they stick together, they play together, they fight back they bounce back. And this is, for me, the most important part.”

Focus will quickly turn onto the new era at United. Incoming manager Erik ten Hag watched on from the stands in south London and will start work in earnest over the next week.