Ralf Rangnick’s Shocking Decision Left Manchester United Players Speechless
Published: 05:00, 24 Sep 2024 GMT+1
A former Manchester United player has opened up about the most shocking moment of Ralf Rangnick’s reign at Old Trafford. In a candid interview, Phil Jones revealed that the German manager’s decision to substitute him off at halftime in a match against Liverpool at Anfield left the entire dressing room stunned.
Rangnick joined Manchester United in November 2021 as interim manager, taking over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Although he left the club at the end of the season, his legacy still lingers. According to Jones, one decision in particular still resonates with him to this day.
"It was the match against Liverpool at Anfield," Jones recalled on the High Performance podcast. "I remember Ralf came in at halftime and said, ‘Phil is going to come off.’ The whole dressing room just went (makes a shocked face) like, ‘What’s he doing?’"
Jones, who played for Manchester United for 12 years, was furious about being substituted off, despite having a decent game. "I took my boots off and slammed them on the floor, and said, ‘You’re taking the fing p out of me!’ I’d never lost my head in a dressing room before, and I’ve never been emotional enough to lose myself in a dressing room, but that’s the only time I completely lost it."
Jones attributed his reaction to being humiliated in front of an Anfield crowd, the Manchester United fans, his family, and his teammates. "I was absolutely raging that he humiliated me in front of our rivals, our fans, my family, and the players. There were far worse players on that pitch that day, and I didn’t deserve to come off, but I’m the easiest to pull off because I hadn’t played in 12 months and I’m an easy scapegoat."
The incident highlights Rangnick’s intense and sometimes brutal approach to management. While he has his critics, his willingness to make tough decisions earned him respect from some of his players. For Jones, however, the experience was a low point in his career.
What do you think about Rangnick’s decision? Should managers be more considerate of their players’ emotions? Let us know in the comments!
Follow us on all social media platforms for more updates and football news!