After a week-long wait, experienced German coach, Ralf Rangnick, has been confirmed as the interim manager of English Premiership giant, Manchester United, with the deal running till the end of the season, replacing the recently departed Ole Gunnar Solksjaer.
Reports also suggests that an agreement has been reached with Locomotiv Moscow, Rangnick’s last employer where he served as Head of Sports and Development, to allow him depart from the Russian club mid-season.
The 63-year-old, who is widely regarded as the father of modern coaching in Germany, agreed on a six-month deal until the end of May.
He will have a further two years in a consultancy role which seems to be the part that excites most Manchester United fans the most. However, work permit reasons mean he will not be in charge in time for the weekend’s game against Arsenal.
Where are Man United right now?
Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer parted ways after a 4-1 mauling at Vicarage Road to Claudio Ranieri’s men.
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Manchester United dropped to 8th place on the league standings after the defeat and seem far away from a title challenge, which fans and spectators thought they would be doing this season.
However their poor league form and early exit from the Carabao cup is quite the opposite of the Champions league run. An opening day defeat to Young Boys has been their only Champions league defeat so far and have confirmed a place in the round of 16 after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho secured them a 2-0 victory over Villareal midweek.
Their performances have however been far from impressive so far this season which is something they hope the new manager would be able to improve on.
Who is Ralf Ragnick?
For all of Manchester United’s recent mistakes and past failings, appointing Ralf Rangnick as their new interim manager is not one of them.
The German manager is one of the most experienced and deepest thinkers in the game, and will bring a wealth of know-how to the table in terms of how United should operate.
He has developed a firm understanding for how a football club should run, and also played a direct role in unearthing some of the most familiar names now plying their trade in European football such as Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea’s Timo Werner and Bayern Munich’s center back, Dayot Upamecano.
He has also managed the likes of Hoffenheim and Schalke, among other clubs in the past, spent several years connected with the Red Bull franchise, overseeing the rise of both RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.
He was the Director of Football at both clubs in 2012 and played a key role in the overall operation of the pair. That hands-on experienced and strategic footballing knowledge will serve United very well indeed.
Can Ralf Ragnick turn Man United fortunes around?
After the departure of Jose Mourinho in 2018, Manchester United have been in disarray and needs someone to steady the ship and oversee a rebuild.
After a successful stint as interim manager, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer was given the keys to do just that. Considering the squad the club now has at its disposal, it can be said that the rebuilding process was a successful one and it was time for them to challenge for trophies which is where Ole came short of this season.
The primary reason behind United’s choice of Rangnick is to improve results in the short-term and get the club moving in the right direction on the pitch again, and his arrival — certainly in the long-term — is likely to have huge benefits for the club’s overall infrastructure.
The season might be too far gone for a Premier League title challenge but Champions league and the FA cup hopes are very much alive. It will be a very successful stint if Ralf Ragnick can lead the squad to achieve one of these while installing an identity to the squad during his interim tenure.
