Rangnick's comments on Pogba suggest he's ready to make big changes at Man Utd

Ralf Rangnick's imminent appointment as Manchester United's interim manager could be bad news for Paul Pogba in light of his previous comments about the midfielder.

Rangnick, 63, is expected to sign a short-term deal until the end of the season, when he will swap the dugout for a consultancy role at Old Trafford.

The German has a phenomenal reputation among some of the world's top coaches and he is credited with influencing Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp, Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich's Julian Nagelsmann.

Intense pressing and rapid progression of the ball are central to Rangnick's philosophy, which marks a stark contrast to his predecessor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

If he is to turn United's poor form on its head, he will need to quickly learn which players can meet his demands.

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This could give Pogba cause for concern, as he is a player who flourishes when he has time on the ball to pick out a pass, while his pressing is often found wanting.

The Frenchman, 28, may be missing until the New Year with a thigh injury and Rangnick's past verdict on his ability raises questions of whether he will ever force his way back into the starting XI.

The former RB Leipzig boss mentioned Pogba while discussing Naby Keita in 2017, when he was serving as the German club's sporting director.

Keita, now at Liverpool, was excelling for Leipzig at the time and Rangnick had no doubt the Guinean was far more suited to his side than Pogba.

He said he "wouldn't swap Keita with Pogba for our style of play" during an interview with German outlet Sport1, suggesting he has concerns over the latter's ability to play an intense brand of football.

Solskjaer may well have shared these concerns, as he increasingly shifted Pogba from his natural central midfield berth to the left flank during his reign as United manager.

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The former Juventus star, who joined the Red Devils in a club-record £89million transfer in 2016, started the season in brilliant form with seven assists in four Premier League games.

However, Pogba lost his place in the starting XI in October and came off the bench to disastrous effect in the 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool, during which he was sent off after 15 minutes.

He is out of contract next summer and Old Trafford chiefs have reportedly decided they will not look to extend his stay with the club.