Manchester United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick said his club, beaten 0-4 at Anfield on Tuesday, are “six years” behind Liverpool and need to undergo a major rebuild if they are to contend for titles again.

United lost 0-5 to Liverpool at Old Trafford in October and then were outclassed in the return game, as Jurgen Klopp’s side returned to the top of the Premier League.

“It is embarrassing, it is disappointing, maybe even humiliating,” said Rangnick.

“We have to accept they are six years ahead of us now. When Juergen Klopp came they changed at the club and lifted not just the team but the club and city to a new level. That is what needs to happen with us in the next transfer windows,” he said.

The German said that Liverpool had improved under each transfer window after Klopp joined them in 2015 and that had paid off with the squad now containing “25 Formula One racing cars”.

Rangnick is not expected to remain in charge of United next season with Ajax’s Dutch coach Erik ten Hag widely tipped to take over as manager. With several players out of contract, Rangnick, who also has a role as a consultant at the club, said there was going to be major movement in and out.

“What kind of football does the new manager want to play and then bring every single player fitting into that kind of profile. There will be a rebuild, for sure. But right now, that doesn’t help us because we still have another five games to play,” Rangnick said.

Fulham promoted

Fulham achieved promotion back to the Premier League on Tuesday with a 3-0 home win over Preston North End. The victory guaranteed the London side a top-two finish in the second-tier Championship. League leaders Fulham — who were relegated from the top flight last year — now have 86 points from 42 games.
The top two in the division are promoted to the Premier League. Fulham took the lead through Aleksandar Mitrovic in the ninth minute before Fabio Carvalho grabbed another and Mitrovic completed a first-half rout. The Serbian has scored 40 goals this season.