By Daily Sports on February 8, 2022

Jesse Lingard was left out of Friday's FA Cup fourth-round defeat against Middlesbrough; Ralf Rangnick said Man Utd forward needed time off to "clear up his mind"; Lingard contradicted Rangnick's comments on social media; Lingard and Edinson Cavani both in squad to face Burnley on Tuesday.

Ralf Rangnick has revealed he never reads social media and encouraged his Manchester United players to communicate with him in person instead.

The United interim boss' comments came in the wake of Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial posting contradictory messages surrounding their respective omissions from first-team matches in January as the pair were linked with exits from Old Trafford.

Martial secured a loan move to Sevilla last month but Lingard's departure was vetoed, and his subsequent absence from Friday's FA Cup exit to Middlesbrough saw him take to social media to reject his manager's claims he had requested some time off to "clear up his mind".

Speaking in his press conference ahead of United's Premier League trip to Burnley, Rangnick was keen to draw a line under the affair and extolled the importance of in-person conversations.

"It's always better [to communicate in person]," Rangnick said. "I never, ever read or communicate by social media accounts, I don't even exist there, to be honest, I wouldn't have time to do that.

"Therefore it's always better [to communicate in person]. I always communicate with the players directly, like I did with Anthony Martial and with Jesse. But maybe I am a different generation, my generation never grew up with these kinds of things.

For me, it's always better to communicate directly, but again it's time to look ahead. I know in both cases what I said to the players, and what happened, so for me, there is no reason to discuss this anymore."

Rangnick's powers of communication will be tested again come the end of the season when the expiration of the contracts of Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata, and Lingard coincide with the end of his interim period in charge of the club.

Asked whether he expected any of the quartet to leave Old Trafford, Rangnick added: "I don't know. It's far too early to speak about that, and in the end, it's also a question of what the players want and how the club see it.

"But these are not interesting topics for us right now, right now it is to get the best out of the season and these players.

"Even if they want to leave at the end of the season, the chance to get an offer from any club, including Manchester United, is to play well."

Fourth-placed United travel to Turf Moor a point ahead of West Ham - who host Watford also on Tuesday - having played one game fewer, but in the knowledge that anything other than a victory will open the door to the Hammers in the race for Champions League qualification.

For Rangnick, maintaining that advantage is crucial, especially after Friday's cup exit to Championship Middlesbrough on penalties.

"Right now, we are fourth in the league, and everyone in the club, including myself, would be happy if we finish fourth at the end of this season," he said.

"We are still in the Champions League, unfortunately not in the FA Cup, and our full focus is getting the best out of this season. It is the only thing we can do, and it will be more likely to achieve that if we improve our performances.".

Source Sky Sports

Posted February 8, 2022

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