Pranav Nair
Ralf Rangnick to arrive at Manchester United sans Lars Kornetka
According to The Mirror, incoming Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will not be able to bring in his trusted assistant, Lars Kornetka with him to Old Trafford.
The 63-year-old has agreed to take over as the Man United manager until the end of the current campaign. He will then step down only to take an advisory role at the club until 2024.
While his arrival does grant the Red Devils a respected thinker with an acute aptitude for football, it also denies him from bringing in his right-hand man. Both Rangnick and Kornetka have worked together since 2007 at TSG Hoffenheim, Schalke and RB Leipzig.
The 43-year-old Kornetka will replace Rangnick as Lokomotiv Moscow’s Head of Sports and Development. He has chosen to accept the promotion rather than follow the German manager to the Theatre of Dreams.
Rangnick was permitted to bring in two backroom staff with him when he eventually took over as the Man United manager. With Kornetka now out of the picture, who the 63-year-old turns to remains to be seen.
The Man United boss has a high opinion of Kornetka, going on to label him the best video analyst in Germany. Not having him on board is certainly a handicap but hopefully, the German manager will find other ways to offset his loss.
The German boss however appears pleased with what he has to work with at Old Trafford. Football is strange at times and for now, fate has pitted both friends as potential rivals.
Rangnick will, however, have bigger challenges to overcome at Old Trafford. With or without Kornetka, he will have to find a way to overcome those obstacles.
More Manchester United News
- Transfer News: Manchester United are interested in Brighton & Hove Albion starlet Tariq Lamptey
- Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba met PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi ahead of January transfer window
- Transfer News: Manchester United make Ousmane Dembele a priority summer target
Jurgen Klopp and Zeljko Buvac were similarly inseparable before their falling out in the 2018/19 season. This prompted the Liverpool boss to step up and figure out his own style. Something he did to great effect. Hopefully, Rangnick will also go on to scale similar heights.
Lokomotiv are currently fourth in the Russian first division after 16 games, trailing leaders FC Zenit by 11 points. As it stands, the Russian side is in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off positions and unless, in a scenario dreaded by the fans, we only make the UECL spots this year, chances of the two meeting in a competitive fixture next season remain very slim.
