Manchester United are running out of time for Ralf Rangnick's Man City and Liverpool prediction

It was Ralf Rangnick's first day on the job as Manchester United manager and he was conducting the endless media duties that come with one of the most high-profile gigs in the game.

The interim manager had seen United beat Arsenal at Old Trafford the night before and while he spelt out a few home truths, he was bullish as well. The 63-year-old gave the impression that he could see plenty of room for improvement and, perhaps more importantly, how to fix it.

After facing the cameras for his first press conference he sat down for a more intimate discussion for the Sunday newspapers. The subject of his relationship with Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel was a popular theme and towards the end, Rangnick was asked how he felt about taking on Klopp, Tuchel, Conte and Guardiola. For a manager, the Premier League is the place to be.

“I am more than optimistic, but I also have to be realistic," stressed Rangnick.

“Five weeks ago, our team lost 5-0 against Liverpool - and it could have been a lot more if we are honest. Against City it was 2-0 - but it could also have been more.

“It was important to win the point at Chelsea but the performance? I don’t know. They had 24 shots on goal and we had three.

“So right now, to say I will challenge the top Premier League managers in the next few weeks or months is not realistic.

“Right now my focus is on Crystal Palace and then on Young Boys, then Norwich, then Brighton and then Brentford.

“The games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City will be in March and April - and that’s when I will answer the question about challenging them."

At this point, March seemed an awfully long way away, especially when the Rangnick reign began with a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace. The potential improvement