Michael Carrick’s time at the helm of affairs at Manchester United will not last any longer as the Red Devils have signed up Ralf Rangnick to be interim manager for the next six months.
The 63-year-old German, who started his coaching career at just 25 in 1983, will be signing up to train the Red Devils for the next six months with a future two-year consultancy role at the club.
As it stands, Rangnick is still the head of sporting development at Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow, and Manchester United are finalising talks to free the German and bring him to Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick, however, will lead the team to London as they attempt to bounce back from their 4-1 defeat by Watford in the last matchday.
Fans react positively to Rangnick’s appointment
Ralf Rangnick is a one-of-a-kind football manager and director. The father of the ‘gegenpress’ changed the way football is played in Germany and has influenced many coaches including Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel.
His time as Red Bull football director for Salzburg and Leipzig – who he coached on two different occasions – made them into Champions League material. ‘The Professor’, as he is fondly referred to in Germany, is a manager with expert knowledge of player management, which helps each player on the path to fulfilling their true potential.
Manchester United fans are excited and looking forward to having Rangnick at their team. Twitter is agog with video clips, statements and comparisons of Ralf Rangnick’s style of play to the best of managers in the world.
Football icon Gary Lineker believes it’s a smart appointment for United.
https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/1463912024283492360?t=UUmYfRfNU0DjrlDSxybcUQ&s=08
Liam Paul Canning, Manchester United reporter, wants the appointment to be made permanent.
https://twitter.com/LiamPaulCanning/status/1463890279354834944?t=-zbhGhFbSLoS_j3FEqLFmQ&s=08
This fan hopes that Manchester United can end their Pochettino pursuit and move aggressively for Erik Ten Hag to come and work with Rangnick when the German’s interim spell is up.
https://twitter.com/UtdFaithfuls/status/1463859642472271883?t=OtWL5DiqPl3YLK9pB9U5Sw&s=08
However, not every fan is totally on board with the appointment due to past disappointments with high profile managers. This fan is worried that all the Klopp and Tuchel references seem only to be coming from Rangnick himself.
And this fan is worried that someone as good as Rangnick cannot be followed up by a Pochettino appointment, for many reasons.
The German is, at the time of writing, currently in England to finalise the move from Lokomotiv Moscow to Old Trafford while the club continues to iron out the deal that will see him switch jobs.
Lars Kornetka, a long-time collaborator with Rangnick at Schalke, Hoffenheim and Leipzig, has been reported to be the new assistant coach of Manchester United under Rangnick’s interim rule. Kornetka also worked with Nagelsmann at Leipzig and with Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.
Ralf Rangnick’s appointment to shake up United dressing room
Ralf Rangnick is a manager with a very clear vision. He knows the players he wants for his system and is always ready to do away with those who don’t fit his style of play without sentiments. One of such players is Paul Pogba.
In an interview with Goal in 2017, Rangnick stated plainly that he would not have Pogba in any team he manages. Instead, he talked up Naby Keita as his preferred option in the middle of the park. Naby Keita would eventually join Liverpool in the 2018/19 season to play under Jurgen Klopp, who employs the same style of football as Rangnick.
Paul Pogba’s contract with United is almost up and talks about a renewal have hit a roadblock. With Rangnick now at the wheel, United fans may be seeing the last of Paul Pogba.
