Gary Neville and Micah Richards were involved in a heated debate over Manchester United following Sunday’s 4-1 defeat away at Manchester City.United were outclassed by their local rivals at the Etihad Stadium. Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez both netted a brace as City restored their six-point advantage over second-placed Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.United, meanwhile, now face an uphill battle to secure a top-four finish. Arsenal, who defeated Watford 3-1 earlier on Sunday, sit one point above the Red Devils but, crucially, have three games in hand.It’s now almost five months since Man Utd sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and replaced the Norwegian with Ralf Rangnick, who was working as Lokomotiv Moscow’s manager of sports and development when he received the surprise call from Old Trafford.But whether performance levels have improved under Rangnick is certainly debatable.VOTE NOW: The GMS February Fan AwardsThe respected German coach, 63, is poised to move into a consultancy role at the end of the season as United continue the process of hiring a new permanent manager.MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Ralf Rangnick, Manager of Manchester United looks dejected following their sides defeat after the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on March 06, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Micah Richards and Gary Neville's heated Man Utd debate

After Rangnick suffered one of his most difficult days as United’s interim manager, Richards questioned why United appointed him in the first place.

The former Manchester City defender can’t understand why United failed to make a move for Antonio Conte, who went on to join Tottenham, when they had the chance.

“So why give him the manager’s job in the first place?” Richards said to Neville. “We’re talking about the here and now. So are [United] just getting rid of the season, then? Is that what they’re doing?”

Neville responded: “Micah, you’re ranting emotionally without making sense.

“Chelsea have appointed interim managers to get them to the end of seasons, when the manager they want becomes available.”

An increasingly agitated Richards fired back: “Just because you’re connected to Man United doesn’t mean that my opinion’s irrelevant. Rangnick’s best work is done behind the scenes, you brought him in as interim, he’s not done great, he’s losing all credibility and then he’s going upstairs. You think a new manager’s going to listen to…”

Neville said: “Stop ranting. What should they have done?”

Richards shouted: “Gone for Conte!”

At this point, Neville put his head in his hands. The retired full-back has expressed his belief that Man Utd were never going to appoint Conte on numerous occasions in recent months.

“He was the best available manager at the time,” Richards continued. “And because he doesn’t fit the ‘Man United way’. The Man United way, you don’t win trophies anymore. Conte’s a winner. Why would you not want him? You don’t want winners now?”

Neville answered: “Conte’s not a manager for Manchester United. They want to appoint either [Mauricio] Pochettino or [Erik] ten Hag on a long-term project and they needed somebody to get them to the end of the season.”

Watch Neville and Richards’ argument here: