NEVER will Manchester United fans have been more relieved following a defeat than Sunday.
In front of new boss Erik ten Hag for the first time, an abject Red Devils side slipped to a 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace courtesy of a goal from one of their former players, Wilfried Zaha.
Ralf Rangnick’s brief, tumultuous era as Man Utd boss is over as sources lift the lid on the ‘toxic’ atmosphere at the clubCredit: APErik ten Hag has taken over as Man Utd boss – but what is he getting himself into?Credit: PA
But despite the defeat, supporters breathed a sigh of relief – the Ralf Rangnick era was over.
The 2021-22 season was comfortably one of the worst in United’s recent history, which is saying something given the turbulent, post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Man Utd broke records for all the wrong reasons and ensured their ongoing trophy drought will now be their longest in nearly 50 years – when they were last relegated.
But United never stood a chance on the pitch, given all the off-pitch drama and politics.
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By season’s end, the atmosphere in the dressing room had grown into a “toxic mix of backbiting and spitefulness”, claim MEN.
But let’s start from the beginning…
Early on in the season, an unnamed United player described Solskjaer as “finished” behind closed doors, long before his departure.
The former boss held a private team meeting and asked the players if they still trusted him – with players all “looking at their shoes” and avoiding eye contact, according to one star.
Jesse Lingard shining at West Ham on loan last season only to return to Old Trafford and yet again be frozen out only further “killed” Solskjaer’s reputation among the squad.
By November, he was gone – as fans hoped Rangnick, the “father of Gegenpress” and man who blazed a trail for the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, would usher in a new era.
Instead, Rangnick’s brief tenure was so tumultuous, fans seemingly look back on Solskjaer’s reign as the “good, old days” – with two top-three finishes, four cup semi-finals and a final in under three years.
Almost immediately after Rangnick’s arrivals, the gaping cracks in the Old Trafford squad turned into chasms.
As United struggled on the pitch, the off-field drama intensified with the decisions to snub Antonio Conte and Dejan Kulusevski – who both joined Tottenham – looking increasingly baffling.
Ronaldo himself is alleged to have had a say in the decision.
A source told MEN one player nicknamed Rangnick “Specs” behind his back.
Club legend Paul Scholes revealed Lingard had told him the dressing room was a “disaster”.
All the while, Rangnick took aim at his players, incredibly claiming the squad “needed open-heart surgery”.
“NO F***ING CLUE”
Eric Bailly openly slammed the decision to continually pick Harry Maguire despite his obvious struggles in defence.
Rangnick later held a team meeting for senior players, but NOT captain Maguire, which caused a stir.
One veteran was alleged to have “hijacked” the meeting, in a sure sign Rangnick was being undermined.
Fans began to chant things that’d never been heard at Old Trafford in their lifetime. Things like “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” quickly became a staple.
One player reportedly described Rangnick as “bad”, while a source claimed his substitutions – namely in the 4-1 defeat to rivals Manchester City – were thoughtless.
They claimed players introduced had “no instructions, no game plan, no position plan” and “didn’t, have a f***ing clue what they were doing”, according to MEN.
Another star whinged at being spoken to “like a child” by Rangnick, before lashing out saying he “didn’t give a s***e” about the German’s advice.
One senior player is said to have talked down any rival for his position, while others bemoaned Anthony Elanga’s growing playing-time, calling it “mind-boggling”.
One star’s representatives attacked a United legend after fierce criticism upset his family.
The off-pitch drama filtered onto the pitch and, at one stage, a player barely celebrated a goal before angrily lashing out at his team-mate after being urged to “smile for the camera”.
Even Bruno Fernandes – the United fans’ favourite since his January 2020 transfer – wasn’t immune to criticism.
Amid a season that saw him sulking time and time again after a series of poor results, one team-mate reportedly claimed his “wasteful” approach was a “problem”.
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My BFF stole my hugely significant baby name & after her reaction we don’t speak
The former Ajax chief promised wholesale changes with his TEN-POINT plan to get United back to the top of world football.
It seems as though Ten Hag will rip the squad down to its bare bones and rebuild – and apparently the club needs it more than most fans even realise.
