“You should try to listen to Erik Ten Hag, he’s really making a good point because he has prior experience with the squad. If you don’t heed his words then you’ll never be able to grow” – This is according to Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United would benefit from heeding the straightforward advice of one of their former managers.

“He wasn’t wrong—how true those words are proving to be now.”

Ralf Rangnick, during his final press conference as Manchester United’s interim manager after stepping in for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, famously declared that the club required “open-heart surgery.”

Before Erik ten Hag’s appointment, Rangnick bluntly remarked: “You don’t even need glasses to see and analyze where the problems are. Now it’s about how we solve them. It’s not enough to do some minor amendments—cosmetic things. In medical terms, this is an open-heart operation. If everyone realizes this and works together, it doesn’t need to take two or three years to fix. It can happen within one year.”

The Austrian revisited his statement in September, affirming that his prediction had been accurate. Despite significant spending under Ten Hag and structural changes initiated by Jim Ratcliffe, the “open-heart surgery” Rangnick called for appears to have taken place. Yet, the Red Devils continue to struggle on the pitch.

Following Manchester United’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Newcastle—a loss that came on the heels of heavy setbacks against Bournemouth and Wolves—club legend Rio Ferdinand urged the team and current manager Ruben Amorim to reflect on Rangnick’s advice.

Ferdinand stated: *“Look at Manchester United yesterday—wow. It was an absolute disgrace. The way Newcastle were able to play through our team with one, two, or three passes straight into dangerous areas shows there’s no understanding or plan for how to press.

“It brings me back to Rangnick. Ralf Rangnick said this club needed open-heart surgery, not a quick fix. And he wasn’t wrong. How true are those words now?

“He was absolutely right. Behind closed doors, I’m sure Amorim is thinking the same thing. He’s already said, ‘Our club needs a shock.’ While he didn’t use the phrase ‘open-heart surgery,’ he’s clearly identifying the same systemic issues.”*