“If he [Simeone] was coaching Manchester United, they win that game” – Paul Scholes laments Rangnick appointment after Red Devils’ Champions League exit 

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has continued his criticism of the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager following the club's UEFA Champions League exit.

The Red Devils were dumped out of the Champions League on Tuesday night by a stubborn Atletico Madrid side, losing 0-1 in a tense affair.

Rangnick looked dejected when the final whistle was blown, having seen his side fail to break down Simeone's army of defence for long periods of a frustrating affair.

Scholes, who has been critical of the German manager's appointment as interim coach in the past, continued to voice his displeasure with the former RB Leipzig manager at the helm.

He told BT Sport (via United Zone):

“The first thing this club needs to do is get a proper coach in, give him two or three years to build a squad of players that will challenge.”

He continued:

"Atletico are not a better team than Man Utd but they’ve got a better experienced coach. If he (Simeone) was coaching Man Utd they win that game.”

Rangnick took over from former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in December with the club in a precarious position, having been thrashed by Premier League rivals Liverpool and newcomers Watford.

The German manager was afforded a comfortable first 10 games to begin his tenure, with most fixtures in the EPL being against lower-half opposition.

But the problems that had surfaced under Solskjaer were exemplified despite defensive improvements on the pitch.

Damning reports have hit the club with power struggles, scathing opinions of Rangnick's coaching credentials, and player unrest, all coinciding with Manchester United's woeful season.

The UEFA Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid was United's last hope of having any success this season. But they faltered on a disappointing night that has Scholes bemoaning the appointment of Rangnick once more.

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What's next for Manchester United?

Manchester United will once again end a season with no silverware. The last trophy the Red Devils won was way back in 2017 when they won the UEFA Europa League.

It is quite fitting that the next potential manager will most likely be beginning their Old Trafford career in that very competition. Rangnick has failed to complete the mission he was set, getting United back into the Champions League next season.

Winning the competition seemed like an impossible task but qualifying seemed a necessity. The Red Devils are playing catch-up to Arsenal, who are a point ahead in fourth and have three games in hand.

What might encourage Manchester United fans, however, is that both frontrunners for the job, Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag, bowed out of the competition at the same stage as the Red Devils.

That does, however, raise concerns over the suitability of either coach if they are unable to have success in Europe's elite club competition themselves.