Manchester United’s technical director Darren Fletcher has clarified his role amid some confusion among fans about what the man who interviewed Ralf Rangnick for the interim manager’s job actually does alongside the German.
Fletcher was appointed to his current role last year but, after the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the 38-year-old has been present in the dugout during matches and out on the training pitch with Rangnick and his coaching staff.
Rangnick himself has admitted that he is unsure about what Fletcher's overall actual role is at the club but made a point of saying his input in training sessions and at games has been helpful. “In those areas, it is good to have him on board,” Rangnick said.
Speaking at a Fans' Forum held at Old Trafford on Friday, Fletcher said: “With Ralf and his staff coming in, and Michael [Carrick] and Kieran [McKenna] choosing to move on, we had a quick transition process, so part of my role has been to assist with that, both on the training pitch and during games.
“I guess that’s been the most visible part for me this season, but that’s really an addition to my overall technical director role. Probably the key part of the role is taking a holistic view of the path for players from our academy to our first team. That pipeline of academy talent is a massive part of who we are [and the player who has] prospered most under Ralf Rangnick is Anthony Elanga.
“Anthony has done brilliantly since he broke into the first team, and Hannibal Mejbri has also been more involved in the squad,” said Fletcher, who also acknowledged the support from United fans in Madrid last week when Elanga’s song was sung non-stop after he equalised.
Fletcher also insisted that United’s youth system is in good shape. “Our Under-19s recently finished top of their group in the Uefa Youth League, and our Under-18s have reached the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup," said the Scot.
"I’m working closely with Nick Cox, as head of academy, to look at the long-term strategy for bringing players through. We have to manage the balance between allowing them to develop and creating the right steps for that, without piling the pressure on to them.
Man United 0 Watford 0: player ratings
-
David De Gea – 6. One of the easiest games he’ll have, and he didn’t have to save a shot until the second half. Getty Images -
Aaron Wan Bissaka – 6. Recalled to start, and one of his best performances of a poor season for the full-back. Pushed forward but rightly brought off when he started to fade. AP -
Victor Lindelof – 7. Best United defender against Watford, not that he had much to do. Made an important tackle towards the end of the first half. AFP -
Raphael Varane – 6. Looked to be in full control, like his team, yet had no win to show for it. PA -
Alex Telles – 6. A Premier League start for the Brazilian, but he can hardly say he deserves to keep it after a mediocre performance when the attacking side of his game was ineffective, despite getting in advanced roles. Did cross for Ronaldo who put the ball in the net – but was offside. Getty Images -
Fred – 5. Blocked a shot after three minutes. As United had 67 per cent of possession and had 22 shots to Watford’s 10, but only three of them were on target to Watford’s two. Came off as United pushed to score. AFP -
Nemaja Matic – 7. Started after his impressive midweek performance in Madrid. Justified the decision as he was the best United player, the centre point and anchor for the side who passed the ball beautifully. Getty Images -
Anthony Elanga – 7. Man of the moment who played well and most of United’s attacks came down the right. He’s fast, direct and follows the instruction of his boss. He can beat a player and has excellent feet and close control. Shame he couldn’t score. PA -
Bruno Fernandes – 6. Worked hard, tried risky passes, lost the ball. His finishing has been poor in recent weeks and that much stayed true – he should have scored in the first half having been set up by Elanga. Failed to hit the target after Pogba set him up and again after Ronaldo set him up. AP -
Paul Pogba – 6. Started on the left. Back heel flick was his best moment as he set up Elanga in a promising attack. But some decent link up play wasn’t sufficient for someone in his role as United couldn’t get the ball over the line. Getty Images -
Cristiano Ronaldo – 5. Hit the post after five minutes as United looked like they were going to steamroll Watford. It didn’t happen. Offside after he’d put the ball in. He was fouled and set up by Fernandes. Not his day. PA -
Jadon Sancho (Fred 62’) – 6. Bent a shot over but like most of United’s attempts, they didn’t hit the target. The best of the substitutes. AP -
Luke Shaw (Telles 74’) – 5. Little impact on the game. Getty Images -
Marcus Rashford (Matic 74’) – 5. It’s not happening for him. Getty Images -
WATFORD RATINGS: Ben Foster 8 - Had to deal with a lot of balls coming into the box and usually made the right decision. Watford fans took a sigh of relief when Foster clutched a late Fernandes strike with ease in stoppage time. EPA -
Hassane Kamara 8 - Tracked Wan-Bissaka well who looked certain to score had he got a proper connection with his header, and then had the difficult task of dealing with Marcus Rashford. A solid display overall. AP -
Samir 8 - The Old Trafford crowd thought a goal was imminent as Bruno Fernandes wound up a shot but faced a magnificent block from Samir. The centre-back was willing to get hurt for his team and fought tirelessly for 90 minutes. Getty -
Craig Cathcart 8 - Read the play well and there was no nonsense with his play when clearing the danger. PA -
Jeremy Ngakia 6 - A difficult test as United looked to burst quickly down the flanks and get balls into the box, and Ngakia gave a fair account of himself despite being replaced close to the hour mark. Getty -
Tom Cleverley 7 - Tried to get Watford going in the right direction by showing calmness in possession, though that wasn’t always matched by his team mates. EPA -
Imran Louza 8 - Frustrated Manchester United tactics frequently with impressive anticipation in the middle of the park. EPA -
Moussa Sissoko 7 - Often broke up the play and ensured United couldn’t get shots off from around the penalty box. Helped withstand constant pressure from Rangnick’s side. EPA -
Joshua King 6 - Worked hard to lead the line but struggled to get frequent services. Just one shot on goal before he was replaced for Ken Sema. EPA -
Emmanuel Dennis 6 - Watford weren’t going to get many chances at Old Trafford which means the forwards have to make the most of the time with possession, Dennis was too wasteful on the day that didn’t help stop the home side’s pressure. AP -
Ismaila Sarr 6 - A spectacular effort with what looked to be the final kick of the game could have stolen all three points . The Senegal star worked hard, though it was difficult with not many yellow shirts getting forward. Getty -
SUBS: Ken Sema (King 63) 7 - Introduced just after the hour mark and spent most of his time defending, helping stop the flow of United’s constant attacks. EPA -
Christian Kabasele (Ngakia 63) 7 - Came on to shut out the game and did just that. Juraj Kucka (Cleverley 80) - N/A. AFP
"Along with Nick, I’m looking at how we best use the loan system to give academy players invaluable experience at other clubs. We currently have 13 young players and academy products on loan and playing regularly in other divisions or leagues.
“Hopefully we’ll see players like Brandon Williams, Teden Mengi, Jimmy Garner, Ethan Laird, Tahith Chong and Amad Diallo reap the benefits of that. All of them are doing really well on loan and we’re excited to bring them back in pre-season to see how they fare with our first-team players.
“It’s been a brilliant experience since I took on the role, and the combination of long-term planning and contributing to our strategic goals, with the opportunity to still be close to the team and management, makes it a unique role.”
United are fourth in the Premier League and have drawn five and won two of their last seven matches. Arsenal, in sixth, are only two points behind with three games in hand.
United have rightly been criticised for failing to score from set pieces this season, with set-piece coach Eric Ramsay blamed for a lack of impact. Fletcher defended his colleague.
“People only give the one narrative about scoring from set pieces,” he said. “The biggest reason Eric was brought in was because we were conceding too many goals from set pieces. We have really improved our defending from set pieces and wide free kicks this season. Eric is a fantastic coach.”
John Murtough, United’s football director, was another who interviewed Rangnick for the job and he said of recent months: “In the Uefa Champions League we won two and drew two of our group stage games in the three-month period, finishing top of our group.
"We were subsequently drawn against Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16, the first leg of which took place last Wednesday when we drew 1-1 in Spain to set up an exciting second leg at Old Trafford to be held on March 15th.
Atletico Madrid 1 Man United 1: player ratings
-
ATLETICO MADRID RATINGS: Jan Oblak 5 - Didn’t have much to do and looked comfortable for the most part, but came up short when his side needed him most, getting his angles and body position all wrong for the goal. AFP -
Jose Maria Gimenez 7 - Looked certain to score in the third minute, but a superb block by Lindelof denied him. Defended well and wasn’t greatly troubled by United. AFP -
Stefan Savic 7 - The tattooed Montenegrin defended well and timed his challenges carefully in and around the box. Relished the battle and won most of his individual duels. AFP -
Reinildo Mandava 6 - Worked well with Lodi down Atletico’s left, but was at fault for the goal when he gambled and slid in attempting to intercept Bruno Fernandes’s through ball. Getty Images -
Sime Vrsaljko 6 - Caught out of position on a cross ball early in the second half, but got away with it. Good energy up and down the right. AFP -
Renan Lodi 8 - Incredible left-footed delivery for the goal. The energetic Brazilian always looked to bomb forward and delivered dangerous crosses that asked questions of the Manchester United’s back line. AFP -
Geoffrey Kondogbia 9 - A colossus in the middle of the park for Atleti. Won almost every second ball, broke up play and dominated the midfield battle with his energy and athleticism. Ran the show in the first half. AFP -
Hector Herrera 8 - The robust Mexican used his body well to protect the ball and control the tempo for Atleti. Almost flawless in possession. Was a perfect foil for his midfield partner Kondogbia. AFP -
Marcos Llorente 7 - The Spain international had some clever touches and linked well with the front two. Excellent work rate out of possession. AFP -
Joao Felix 7 - Scored Atletico’s goal after seven minutes with a well-timed run across the face of Harry Maguire to score with a diving header in off David de Gea’s near post. Didn’t stop all night, showed lovely feet and close control in tight areas. Getty Images -
Angel Correa 7 - Cleverly won free kicks in good areas and was a constant menace for Manchester United’s defenders with his energy and movement. Getty Images -
SUB: Antoine Griezmann 7 (Felix, 75’) - Almost won it for the home side with a curling snapshot that hit the United bar with three minutes to go. Getty Images -
SUB: Thomas Lemar 6 (Lodi, 75’) - Looked lively in the attacking third. AFP -
MAN UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea 6 - Edgy start against his former club as Joao Felix superbly headed past him after seven minutes. It started with his poor clearance. Lucky it wasn’t two when Llorente’s header hit the bar. AP Photo -
Luke Shaw 5 - Poor game. Booked and deservedly so. Off in the first batch of substitutions before he got a second yellow. EPA -
Harry Maguire 4 - Felix got ahead of him to put Atleti ahead with a beautiful header. Blocked a cross six minutes later. Good at Leeds, bad in Madrid. AFP -
Raphael Varane 5- Back in the city where he made his name across town, Varane suffered a clumsy moment after 30 minutes, conceding possession and then a free-kick. More Trabant than Rolls Royce in the first half, he improved in the second. Getty Images -
Victor Lindelof 6 - Unusual in that the Swede played at right-back. Strong block to prevent a shot on goal after two minutes but wasn’t close to the excellent Lodi when he crossed for the opener. AFP -
Paul Pogba 4 - Carelessly robbed of possession in the first half where the Spaniards were well on top. A big platform for him to show his level in a country where he long wanted to play, he was outclassed by Spain’s fifth best-placed side missing five of their best players. Fuming when he came off. AFP -
Fred 5 - United’s midfield was outplayed in the first half, yet still had more possession … and could do little with it. Fouled – to Atleti fury – late on. By that time he was playing in a deeper role. AP Photo -
Bruno Fernandes 6 - Robbed of possession three times early on. Pinged United’s first shot towards goal on 14 minutes. Lost his temper, moaned and moaned and was abused by the crowd for being Portuguese. Set up Elanga for the goal, though. AP Photo -
Jadon Sancho 6 - Got back to intercept an Atleti attack but one of United’s best players in the last month didn’t have a great night. He worked hard, but that wasn’t enough. EPA -
Marcus Rashford 4 - Barely involved. Lost possession as a United attack broke down after 64 minutes. Booked for it. A nothing game. AFP -
Cristiano Ronaldo 4 - Little service and this little involvement in first half-hour, then shot wide. Moaned and asked for yellow cards to be given. Struck a 78th minute free-kick well over, to the loudest jeers of the night. EPA -
SUB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka 7 (Lindelof, 66’). One of two full-backs brought on by Ralf Rangnick and he did set one chance up. AFP -
SUB: Alex Telles 6 (Shaw, 66’). Clattered after 10 minutes. Booked on 83. Superb cross on 90. AFP -
SUB: Nemanja Matic 7 (Pogba, 66’). Steady, steady, steady, which is exactly what was asked of him. AFP -
SUB: Anthony Elanga 8 (Rashford, 75’). “Rhythm is a dancer Anthony Elanga, You won’t stop him if you dare. Came from Scandinavia, to be United’s savior, scoring goals from everywhere. Woah it’s Elanga.” Reuters -
SUB: Jesse Lingard (Sancho, 82’). N/A. AFP
“In the Premier League, we saw improved results under interim manager Ralf Rangnick, following a run in the October and early November period that had seen the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager. We know that consistency is key as we strive for a top-four finish this season. I want to reiterate, however, that this is not the ultimate objective for Manchester United, and everyone at the club is focused on challenging for the top trophies.”
Murtough also maintained that United intend to appoint a permanent manager for next season. “We are now conducting a thorough process … [to recruit] who will take charge this summer, with the objective to get us back to challenging for those domestic and European titles,” said Murtough, who is also heavily involved in United’s women’s team.
“[They] are enjoying a strong campaign in the Women’s Super League under their manager Marc Skinner, consolidating our position among the leading forces in the women’s game after less than three seasons in the top division,” he said.
“We look forward to a historic moment in March as the team makes their Old Trafford debut in front of fans against Everton on March 27th. We are in the process of recruiting for a head of women’s football, emphasising our commitment to our women’s team operations and the women’s game as a whole.
“Our men’s academy also remains a key focus for us, and we were pleased to see the Under 18s reach the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup last week, reflecting the strength of talent we continue to see coming through our youth system."
A further appointment was a Director of Data Science “to bring together and drive forward the club’s use of data to help players and staff deliver success on the pitch”.
As you would expect, Murtough’s message was upbeat and focused. “Overall, while there is potential for further improvement and progress, we do feel that we now have the right structures in place across our Men’s, Women’s and Academy teams to support long-term success and we will continue working relentlessly and investing to achieve that.”
The club’s view is an optimistic one which does not tally with how most United fans are feeling after a disappointing season and, while results have improved under Rangnick, the fixture list has been a forgiving one for him so far. That will soon change.
United’s next games are difficult ones: Manchester City away in Sunday’s derby, Spurs at home, Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, also at Old Trafford, and Liverpool away.
