Ralf Rangnick Advises Erik Ten Haag To Allow Manchester United To Pick Their New Captain

Ralf Rangnick Advises Erik Ten Haag To Allow Manchester United To Pick Their New Captain

Martin Moses
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:01 PM
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  • Rangnick wants the squad to be allowed to pick their captain at the start of next season
  • Current captain, Harry Maguire has been embroiled in multiple controversies since he became the Red Devils' skipper
  • Rangnick will take up an administrative role at the end of the season as Erik Ten Haag becomes the first team coach

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will ask incoming head coach Erik Ten Haag to strip Harry Maguire of captain responsibilities. Rangnick will become the new technical director and is expected to have a say in major decisions.

Maguire’s stay at Old Trafford has been underwhelming. The England international has been on the receiving end for his defensive frailties. He has been widely ridiculed for lack of proper positioning and poor defending.

Ralf Rangnick, Harry Maguire, Manchester United
Harry Maguire applauds the fans after the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield. Photo by Ash Donelon
Source: Getty Images

Rangnick recently dropped him in United’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal. Maguire has since suffered a knee injury which could keep him out for the remainder of the season.

The 29-year-old enjoyed a fairytale reception at Manchester United. He was signed from Leicester City in a record 80 million euros deal, the highest fee ever paid for a defender. Five months later, the then coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer installed him as captain.

With Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to the club this season, many expected that he would take over captain duties. Maguire has remained at the helm, and now Rangnick believes the squad should have an opportunity to select their captain.

Metro UK understands that the former Shackle 04 manager wants United to adopt a similar approach to what Pep Guardiola did at Manchester City. Kevin De Bruyne was relegated to be the fourth captain.

The Belgian maestro was the club’s vice-captain, but a vote saw him drop to fourth in the pecking order. Ilkay Gundogan and Ruben Dias were placed ahead of club captain Fernandinho.

I can only tell what I have done in the past when I was the head coach or the manager. I strongly believe that the captain should be elected by the team because he’s called the team manager. That’s what I would do if I was still the manager next season, but I’m not, so that is something for Erik to decide.

Maguire received a bomb threat

Maguire’s tribulations have gone past the field of play. He has been the recipient of bomb threats. The threat came in the wake of the Red Devils' humbling 4-0 defeat by their rivals Liverpool FC. Sports Brief reported that the centre back later confided in friends that such acts won’t force him to abandon his home.

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Martin Moses
Martin Moses is a sports journalist with over five years of experience in media. He graduated from Multimedia University of Kenya (Bachelor of Journalism, 2017-2021)
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