Manchester United’s interim boss Ralf Rangnick believes that the Red Devils won’t be able to finish higher than fourth place but asserted that’s what they have to achieve. The Old Trafford side have endured a tough time but are currently 5th on the table, one point off fourth place.
Following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking, few expected Manchester United to even make the cut for a European place at the end of the season, let alone challenge for a top four spot. However, their transformation under Ralf Rangnick has seen the Red Devils go unbeaten in their last five league games and they’ve slowly moved up the table. Now the Old Trafford side sit only one point behind fourth place West Ham United and have a game in hand over the Hammers.
However, Wolves, Tottenham and Arsenal are also all challenging for a spot and have multiple games in hand which may not help United’s case. Yet, with hope back for the club, many believe that a top three berth is even possible but Ralf Rangnick has refuted that. The German admitted that the best they can achieve is a top four place and even believes that going forward in the Champions League may be tough.
“We want to finish fourth in the league, this is the highest possible achievement we can get. “The Champions League, definitely we want to proceed but it’s not an easy one. In the league, it’s No. 4. That’s what we have to achieve and what we’re aiming at. Next season, after being here 11 weeks, I know what it takes for next season but it’s not the time now to discuss this with everyone,” Rangnick said, reported ESPN.
The German has seen his side improve ever so slightly under his tenure so far but United are three games without a win and have also been held to draws by both Burnley and Southampton. Not only that, Middlesbrough knocked them out of the FA Cup as well but Rangnick insisted that the team has improved although he wants a more sustained spell of performances across the entire game.
“I think it’s pretty obvious the players are getting ideas across. Now it’s about doing it sustainably for the entire game and this is exactly the next step we have to take. The first halves have been really good, we didn’t concede a single goal, the next step is to raise our level, stay focused, physically, mentally and tactically.
“We gave away those goals too easily, it was just too easy and it was our own mistakes we made to let the other team score,” he added.
