Erik ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick miscommunication undermines dawn of new Man Utd era

The arrival of Erik ten Hag at Manchester United was supposed to signal the start of a new dawn at the club; however, it's proved anything but.

The Dutchman attended his new side's dire 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park at the weekend, before officially being inducted by the Red Devils on Monday, where he openly addressed all matters United. Ten Hag's arrival will see him succeed current interim Ralf Rangnick at the helm, however, the pair's perplexing remarks regarding each other have seen a far from smooth transition.

Speaking after United suffered their 12th Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday, Rangnick admitted he "didn't know" Ten Hag would be attending the club's final game of the season. Ten Hag has himself since suggested he will be in no hurry to consult the German, who will juggle managerial duties with the Austrian national team and a consultancy role at Old Trafford.

On Monday, Ten Hag revealed: “I analyse by myself. I observe and I speak with a lot of people. But I will draw my own line." When probed on Rangnick's new role at United, the 52-year-old added: “That is for the club”.

The bizarre exchange of words doesn't bode well. Ten Hag's arrival was supposed to signal the start of a new chapter at the club, one which would see United discard the disorganised label which has so often come their way in recent years, and replaced with a revamped image.

However, if anything, the episode of miscommunication has sent out quite the opposite message: that United remain a mess and that the club continues to be clouded by chaos. Though Rangnick will still step up into a consultancy role - despite his responsibilities with Austria - it seems the 63-year-old has been afforded little trust.

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