MY ACCOUNT
Peter Schmeichel is confident Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold is aware of the scale of the task ahead of him at Old Trafford.
Having watched United lose 4-0 to old rivals Liverpool on Tuesday, Schmeichel believes a new manager alone will not be enough to turn his former club’s fortunes around.
Erik ten Hag is widely expected to be confirmed as United’s next permanent boss, replacing interim appointment Ralf Rangnick, but he faces a daunting challenge.
United remain just three points outside the top four in the Premier League but offered little hint of a late-season fight for Champions League football in their meek Anfield reverse.
Various United legends bemoaned the state of the club following that awful defeat, but Schmeichel at least feels Arnold – appointed earlier this year – is the right man to take the club forward.
“Make no mistake, this is not a case of getting a new manager in and everything will be brilliant again and he will create this wonderful team,” Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“This is about a rebuild of the club. We changed leadership at the beginning of February. Richard Arnold has started the job of CEO, and it’s the first CEO we have had since David Gill.
“He has a bit of power now to do what he thinks is right for the job, and I welcome that.
“I have had lots of conversations with him about the future of Man United, and he understands it’s not about the manager, it’s about restructuring and modernising the club.
“We pride ourselves on our fantastic history, but at some point, we have to plan ahead. I have great faith in him and the direction he wants to take the club.”
