It has been a topsy-turvy season for Manchester United and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer so far. All the critics and fans are now after Ole’s head, with reports of replacing him being the hottest topic in football right now, and one of the names in discussion is German manager Ralf Rangnick.
The English giants began their season with an impressive four wins in their first five league matches. However, for the next six games, the Red Devils dropped massive points, with one draw and four losses including home defeats against City and Liverpool.
Solskjaer was already on borrowed time after the 5-0 hammering from Liverpool at Old Trafford. According to reports, the United board decided to give Solskjaer one last chance against Tottenham only after Sir Alex Ferguson’s intervention. Luckily for Ole, the Red Devils won 3-0 against Spurs.
However, United struggled again in the Champions League mid-week and came from behind twice to grab a hard-earned 2-2 draw against Atalanta. This was followed by an abysmal Manchester Derby, losing 0-2 at home to Pep Guardiola’s side. This has resulted in United languishing at sixth in the table, behind West Ham and Arsenal.
🚨 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign at Manchester United is hanging by a thread and the question now is when not if he will be sacked by the club.
Ralf Rangnick has become the front-runner to take over from him.
(Source: Sun Sport) pic.twitter.com/V37Xebmsmi
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 10, 2021
Now, the United hierarchy are seriously considering the Norwegian’s future and are looking at potential replacements for the managerial position, as reported by Daily Mail. Manchester United wanted to keep Ole in charge till the end of the season before deciding further, but recent results have thrown their plans into disarray.
Antonio Conte was interested in managing the club but some board members had contrasting opinions about the Italian, who is now the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur. Another candidate who is interested in managing the club is Ralf Rangnick, according to BILD’s Christian Falk (via Metro) and is now being considered as the front-runner to take over from the Norwegian.
Ralf Rangnick is currently the Head of Sports and Development at Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow. Be it short-term or long-term, he has the tools to improve the club’s situation from its current state and they should consider his profile as a potential replacement seriously.
The German manager can certainly make a solid impact at Old Trafford, both on and off the pitch. We at AD discussed the benefits of him joining as manager and given below are three main reasons why United should consider Rangnick as a replacement for Solskjaer.
Tactics
Ralf Rangnick knows how to adapt to different situations, as per the kind of players available in his squad. With RB Leipzig, he focused on a 4-2-2-2 formation, while earlier he used to play with a 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 diamond. The 63-year-old German laid down the foundations of the much-appreciated style of pressing football, Gegenpressing, revolutionised by Jurgen Klopp and now used by several German managers.
Ralf Rangnick talking about the methods he uses in training & “The 8 seconds rule” pic.twitter.com/KSqFqlGlui
— Mo (@Ahnice_Mo) November 6, 2021
He is also known for playing direct attacking football, which is pleasing to watch for the fans. His football knowledge and tactics is undoubtedly an upgrade compared to Solskjaer’s and United desperately need guidance from someone like him.
Experience
Ralf Rangnick is certainly much senior and experienced than Solskjaer when it comes to management. He would not have any qualms about benching certain players after a bad performance. His time with Bundesliga clubs is a testament to his success.
During his time at Schalke, he took them to the Champions League semi-finals in 2011, losing out to eventual runners-up Manchester United. He is the biggest reason behind RB Leipzig’s development into a top German football club.
Recruitment
Ralf Rangnick has experience in many roles. He was the manager of RB Leipzig and also served as the director of football for them and RB Salzburg. Even now, he is the Head of Sports and Development for the Russian Premier League club.
Therefore, he can easily help in recruiting the missing puzzle in the United squad. And at Old Trafford, he will get a much larger budget than he is accustomed to in Germany or Moscow. He has never spent beyond £20 million on a single player. Some of his famous recruits as manager include Liverpool talisman Roberto Firmino (£3.6 million), and Leicester PL title winner Christian Fuchs (£3.4 million).
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Manchester United are in desperate need of a coach who commands the dressing room and the respect of the players. He should not back down from making the hard calls and do as required to improve the team’s performance.
Ralf Rangnick suits Manchester United’s managerial profile perfectly. Despite the links and the German manager’s willingness, it seems unlikely that the United board will go for a change in the dugout, especially in the middle of the season.
Stay tuned for the latest Manchester United updates.
