Gary Neville left with egg on his face as Ralf Rangnick contradicts his Man Utd prophecy

Ralf Rangnick’s damning verdict that Manchester United need to sign up to 10 players as part of their substantial squad rebuild is a far cry from Gary Neville’s optimistic assessment last summer. Back then, the former Red Devil insisted his old employers were just one signing away from clinching their first Premier League crown since 2013, but those claims appear incredibly ill-judged in the wake of United’s 4-0 drubbing to Liverpool.

Those affiliated with the Red Devils were full of expectation last summer – even before the club sealed a romantic reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo. As the start of this season approached, United had captured two primary targets in Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane and Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho to plug the gaps in two perceived problem areas, and to leave supporters speculating as to whether their side could finally provide a stern test to the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.

And it wasn’t just fans who were full of optimism. With Varane and Sancho acquired, former United right-back Neville excitedly announced that his former side were just Tottenham’s Harry Kane short of claiming their first Premier League crown in nine years, back when Sir Alex Ferguson brought the curtain down on his illustrious career.

When asked in a Twitter Q&A what it took for United to bring the title ‘home’ this season, the Sky Sports pundit’s reply was short and straight to the point. Neville’s response read: “Varane, Kane and Sancho = title.” However, the reality has proven considerably different.

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While Kane would no doubt grab vital goals for whichever team he turned out for, the Spurs striker alone wouldn’t have been able to salvage United’s shocking season. The Red Devils remain in sixth after their Anfield annihilation as they continue to run the risk of missing out on Champions League football next campaign.

Wednesday night’s defeat saw current interim manager Rangnick lose his cool with United’s current crop as he outlined the sheer extent of the club’s struggles. The German claimed the Red Devils must acquire up to ten new players in the summer as they look to close the evidently expanding gulf between his side and the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

In the aftermath, an enraged Rangnick exclaimed: “There will be a rebuild for sure but that does not help us when we still have five games to play. If you analyse the situation it is not difficult to analyse. For me, it is clear there will be six, seven, eight, maybe ten new players. Before you sign those players you need to be aware how you want to play.”

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