Given the beating he's received since arriving at Old Trafford, it's hard to blame Ralf Rangnick for wanting to serve as a reminder that he does, in fact, know what he's doing when it comes to football.

Rangnick's time as temporary manager of Manchester United has been a failure. The win over Norwich on Saturday was only his 10th in 23 games as head coach.

Last month, he was in charge of a terrible derby display at the Etihad, and he will be aware of the danger that awaits him at Anfield tonight.

When it comes to playing Jurgen Klopp's teams, no one knows how to stop Rangnick like he does. Perhaps it's no wonder that the United manager has had more of an impact on Liverpool's team than he has on his own because Liverpool's manager is a student of Rangnick and adheres to his pressing ideas.

Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Ibrahima Konate, and Takumi Minamino all had their careers launched by Rangnick in his job as sporting director of the Red Bull group. Schalke's Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino's transfer to Hoffenheim were also handled by him.

However, Klopp has signed the other five players and it is apparent that he seeks the same qualities in players as Rangnick.

"As good as they are, it's no accident. Over the past six-and-a-half years, Jurgen has constructed that team. At the time we signed them for our teams, nobody knew six or seven of those players were my/our players "Before the match, Rangnick remarked.
When you look at the number of players from our previous clubs, it's not a surprise that this is the team with the most former players on its roster.

When he arrived at Old Trafford, Rangnick was unable to influence the club's transfer policy, and he abandoned his efforts to transform this bunch of players into "pressing monsters" within weeks.

During Manchester United's battle with Norwich on Saturday, it was Mane and Keita who were putting pressure on Manchester City at Wembley. Aside from his previous statements, Rangnick made another important observation about Liverpool's progress under manager Jurgen Klopp yesterday.

"The right players were brought in and the right guys were removed. That's why they're in that position "he informed me. With Rangnick, it's possible to make the game sound so simple.

Liverpool have also made it appear easy. It was clear when they hired Klopp in 2016 that they had found a winner who would only improve with time.

They didn't freak out since the 54-year-old injected his personality into the group. Right people departed and right people came in, many with a history of working together.

As a result, Liverpool have been able to assemble a team that is ideal for Klopp, and their recruitment record is on par with that of any Premier League team. Only one of the five attacking players available to Klopp costs greater than £45 million.

We don't have to point out the parallels with recruitment at United, but United will have a new manager this summer who shares Rangnick's pressing ideas and who will inherit a team that is unprepared to meet those demands.

For United, this must be a reset. He will not perform miracles, just as Klopp did not perform miracles.

If Rangnick's effect on a team that is chasing history over the next month shows anything, it's what can happen when you have a clear philosophical approach. That hasn't happened in a decade for United.