Summary
Ralf Rangnick had a rather unsuccesful period as interim manager of Manchester United.
The German was the first to publicly state that their club needed a major overhaul across the board.
Had he stayed on as manager, his starting XI would look incredibly different.
During his time as interim manager of Manchester United, Ralf Rangnick made one thing abundantly clear: the club needed open-heart surgery. Much like the future of Old Trafford itself, the very fabric of the club needed to be torn down and rebuilt. Three years on from his departure, there’s an argument to be made that this still holds true.
United have just completed one of the worst seasons in their history, finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham. Ruben Amorim faces a crucial summer as he looks to cement his style of play, bring in players who can execute it, and offload those who remain poisonous to the club culture.
It is bound to be a new-look Manchester United. But how different would the Red Devils have looked if Ralf Rangnick had stayed in charge beyond his temporary spell?
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Goalkeeper and Defenders
David de Gea, Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, Josko Gvardiol, Luke Shaw
Assuming that Rangnick would stick with a variation of a 4-2-3-1, his back five would include some familiar faces. One of the Austrian coach's big decisions when joining the club was whether or not to keep David de Gea as number one or give Dean Henderson an extended run in the team. He opted for De Gea, who would then go on to win the Golden Glove the following season. While his wages were inflated, Rangnick may have continued to show faith in one of the club's greatest shot-stoppers.
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Rangnick's preferred full-back options usually involved Diogo Dalot unseating Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right as he was more comfortable in possession, and Luke Shaw on the left. Providing the latter could stay fit, Rangnick may have continued with the pair, though a deal for Noussair Mazraoui in particular may have also transpired.
At the heart of defence, Leny Yoro does remain in the team even though he was not on the club's radar during Rangnick's stint. However, given his links to Red Bull who often like to sign talented up-and-coming players, we feel that Rangnick would've relished signing the Frenchman to partner current Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol, who he recommended to the Red Devils hierarchy.
Midfield
Konrad Laimer, Enzo Fernandez, Bruno Fernandes
It is always hard to predict who a manager would sign. Perhaps it's easier to figure out who Rangnick wouldn't pick up, as the man has previously said that he wouldn't have sanctioned a deal to bring Casemiro to the club. Who he did recommend though was Konrad Laimer and Enzo Fernandez, who likely would've formed the base of the midfield with the Austrian in charge.
Rangnick currently works with Bayern Munich's Laimer at international level, and the inventor of the gegenpress raved about Fernandez prior to his mega money move to Chelsea.
Unsurprisingly, there would still be a place for Bruno Fernandes at the number 10 position, still as United's best player. It would take an incredibly bold manager to want to take the Portuguese magnifico out of the team.
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Attack
Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford
What a front three this could've been if everyone was on top form. Manchester could've certainly been red again had Rangnick managed to convince the club to make moves for Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland before their noisy neighbours got their hands on them.
The Argentine was picked up for a steal by City before being moved on a couple of years later to Atletico Madrid for some serious profit. Meanwhile, United were no longer frontrunners for Haaland like they had been before his move to Borussia Dortmund, but Rangnick was adamant a move should be made for the Norwegian. And who can blame him.
The German also spoke positively about Alejandro Garnacho's potential during his time at United, but the Argentine may not have yet broken into the team and become a regular starter with this firepower. Instead, it's another current outcast in Marcus Rashford who retains his place on the left, with his former manager previously stating that he had all the tools to be a top-class striker, whether down the middle or cutting in from the left. With this backing, it's hard to see Rashford being moved on in the inevitable way things seem now.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 24/06/2025.