"Pretty harsh" - Journalist questions Rangnick's treatment of 32-cap Man Utd outcast

Manchester United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick has been ‘pretty harsh’ in his treatment of Jesse Lingard, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 29-year-old has largely been forced to watch on from the sidelines throughout the current campaign despite his impressive exploits during a loan spell with West Ham last term.

Lingard had seemingly breathed new life into his stuttering career by racking up 14 goal contributions in just 16 Premier League games for the Hammers after joining them on a short-term deal in January 2021.

Upon his return to Old Trafford, former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enticed the attacking midfielder to remain at his boyhood club with the lure of regular game time.

However, that was not forthcoming, and the arrival of Rangnick as Solskjaer’s successor in November has failed to bring about a change in fortunes for Lingard.

Despite United’s struggles on the pitch, the 32-cap England international has only been awarded four starts and 535 minutes of action across all competitions this term.

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His lack of regular action saw Lingard linked with a permanent move away from the red half of Manchester in January, yet the approaches of Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle were all rebuffed.

With just a matter of months remaining on his contract, though, the versatile star is set to leave United as a free agent over the summer and finally put an end to a frustrating few years.

United are enduring a hugely underwhelming campaign and Jones has revealed he’s ‘surprised’ Rangnick hasn’t called upon Lingard to try and help improve their fortunes.

In an exclusive interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “I think it’s been pretty harsh.

“Jesse’s typically quite