According to the latest reports, Manchester United have appointed FC Lokomotiv Moscow Head of Sports and Development, Ralf Rangnick, as the new interim manager. The German manager will take charge for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign at Old Trafford.
Ralf Rangnick is believed to be one of the best German managers in the world. The 63-year-old is more of a DoF (Director of Football) than a manager. However, in his career, he has managed several German clubs including Schalke 04 and RB Leipzig.
After the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last Sunday, the Man Utd board gave Michael Carrick the role of caretaker manager. The player-turned-coach got his first victory in the Champions League clash against Villarreal. He will also be in charge of the game against Chelsea over the weekend, while Rangnick awaits further proceedings.
Ralf Rangnick’s managerial career over the years
The German manager started his career as a player’s coach at VfB Stuttgart. The manager later coached Hannover 96 and Schalke. Further continuing, he became Hoffenheim manager and hence spent most of his time in Germany.
His tactics and inspirations from the pressing philosophy of Valeriy Lobanovskyi have made him one of the most respectable figures in the world of football. The German was also one of the first coaches to publicize football tactics. It is to be noted that managers like Liverpool‘s Jurgen Klopp, Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel, and Bayern Munich‘s Julian Nagelsmann, have all been assistant managers under Rangnick.
The 63-year-old coach is highly known for his contributions to Leipzig’s success. Under his leadership, by 2018, the club saw promotion to the Bundesliga and reached the Champions League. Their highest domestic finish as runners-up was in the 2016–17 season, while their highest European finish was the semi-finals in the 2019-20 season.
Can the German’s tactics and playing style help Manchester United to make a comeback?
The German is referred to as the ‘Godfather’ of Gegenpressing, a tactic whereby the team, after losing possession, immediately attempts to win back possession, rather than falling back to regroup together. This is a tactic that is mostly used by Klopp at Liverpool, making the Reds so effective and energetic.
On the other hand, Man Utd are a club that mainly resides in their counter-attacking style of play. Therefore, Rangnick can make use of his own tactics of pressing and use his mastery to guide the Red Devils. A youth-filled team would be perfect to mould around his counter-pressing style paired with their counter-attacking football.
The agreement between Ralf Rangnick and Manchester will see the 63-year-old take on a two-year consultancy role at the club after his interim manager’s contract has come to an end in May. By bringing in the teacher of the table-toppers to Old Trafford, Manchester United could hope to compete for the Premier League title once again.
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