“Don’t talk to the public!” — Rio Ferdinand slams Ralf Rangnick’s no-holds-barred approach to the press
Rio Ferdinand has slated Ralf Rangnick’s no-holds-barred approach to the media, saying Manchester United have never been a club to ‘air its dirty laundry in public’.
The current Man Utd boss was giving his thoughts on his tenure so far before the club’s recent 4-0 capitulation to Brighton in the Premier League, and he divulged details about the club’s January transfer policy, saying he was prohibited from signing certain players.
One of the reported targets, a certain Luis Diaz, has gone on to play a star role in Liverpool’s stellar second half of the season, in which they’ve already claimed the League Cup and are now on the cusp of winning the FA Cup and Champions League, while they’re still not out of the title race just yet.
| Man United odds (2022-23 season) | Sky Bet |
| Premier League winner | 16/1 |
| Finish in the top four | 1/8 |
| Top half finish | 1/1000 |
| Bottom half finish | 50/1 |
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But, his open-aired criticisms haven’t just been confined to transfer activity, publicising other internal issues at the club, including his fallout with Jesse Lingard after the playmaker’s brother slammed Man Utd officials for not granting the academy product a farewell appearance at Old Trafford.
Gary Neville has since leapt to the defence of Rangnick regarding the latter point, saying Lingard doesn’t have a “god-given” right to be awarded a send-off, but Ferdinand has now hit out at the interim German boss, believing some details are better kept under wraps.
Speaking on his FIVE podcast, Ferdinand said: “When I hear the manager speaking, we have never been a club that airs its dirty laundry in public. The guy is talking about details which should be kept within the club; ‘I tried to tell the board to sign this player or that player’. Talk to the board. Don’t talk to the public.
“If you are going to talk about that, if you have left the place and you have severed ties with the club, maybe that’s when you want to talk about it. Fine. I understand that, maybe. You can get a few things off your chest… but you are still there working; ‘I told them to sign these three players, [Luis] Diaz at Liverpool who is now flying’.
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“It makes him look a bit better and takes the responsibility off him. I don’t think it is right what he is doing. Yeah you are disappointed, of course, but speak about [those things] and iron it out at the club. When you are gone, then you can say your piece, maybe. Doing it when you are there right now doesn’t help anybody.”
Ferdinand added: “I think they are all wrong in this situation. I don’t think Jesse’s brother comes out looking pretty and I don’t think Ralf or the club do either. All of it stinks for me and I don’t like it. I don’t like our laundry washed in the public eye like this. It’s not something that was ever done before.
“While you are there you have to respect the badge, respect the history of the football club and respect the people that have gone before you. It’s unfortunate for Jesse, too, because it ain’t actually him chatting.
“It’s his brother and Ralf Rangnick, but Jesse is caught in the middle of it. Somebody has to put a stop to this type of thing, because it’s not right. It’s not just Jesse’s brother. There have been other people speaking out of turn.”
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