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Ralf Rangnick said it is “completely false” to say he has been preparing a ‘dossier’ on Manchester United stars for incoming boss Erik ten Hag.
Reports had claimed Rangnick was working on such a file to hand over to Ten Hag, who will leave Ajax for the United top job at the end of the season.
Interim manager Rangnick was appointed in November and will have spent six months with United’s players by the team he steps aside.
Ahead of United’s Premier League game against Chelsea on Thursday, Rangnick flatly denied the existence of a dossier.
He told Sky Sports: “This is completely false, completely untrue. The board has never asked me to prepare a dossier, neither for the board nor for Erik.
“I also never said anything to nobody criticising the attitude of the players as being unprofessional or selfish. This is not true, I will always protect my players. I have never realised any issues of them being unprofessional or selfish.”
Rangnick succeeded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and United have continued to struggle to challenge for the Champions League places during the German’s Old Trafford tenure, suggesting Ten Hag faces a difficult task when he steps into the role.
While there may not be a folder packed with information to pass on to the new boss, Rangnick will eagerly share the knowledge he has acquired when he talks to Ten Hag.
“I’m definitely looking forward to that. I definitely think it would make sense,” Rangnick said.
“Erik is the manager next season and if he would like to get my opinion or hear something about how I assess the current situation, I’m more than happy to speak with him.”
It remains to be seen what involvement Rangnick has at United once his temporary spell in charge ends.
United said, at the time of his appointment, that Rangnick would take on a consultancy role for two years, and that appears to be a role he is still planning to undertake.
“I’ve been talking to the board quite regularly and obviously we were also exchanging our impressions of the current situation,” Rangnick said.
“For me it’s important, together with Erik, together with the scouting department, we can build a new squad, a new group of players with quality and mentality that Erik, together with his coaching staff, will develop and lead this club into a range where supporters will want to see Manchester United.”
United sit sixth in the Premier League and are guaranteed to stay in that position for now, whatever the result of the home clash with third-placed Chelsea.
They have won just nine of 20 Premier League games under Rangnick and have lost their last four away matches in the competition.
From the weekend of his first game in charge, his United side have gathered 33 points, with five teams (Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham) having accrued more points over the same period.
Chelsea have one fewer point than United in the same period but have played just 18 games in this time.
