Manchester United will pay Ralf Rangnick £500k if he leads them to a top four finish
According to the Daily Star, Manchester United have agreed to pay interim manager Ralf Rangnick up to £500,000 as a bonus if he guides the team to a top-four finish. This six-figure number is reported to be on top of his otherwise £180,000 weekly wage. Man United are currently in the mix for a top-four finish heading into the international break.
The Red Devils managed to get past a defensively sound West Ham United at Old Trafford thanks to a 93rd-minute winner, courtesy of second-half substitute Marcus Rashford. It finally saw the Red Devils break into the Champions League qualification spots, several weeks after being out of it.
Rangnick was appointed as interim manager until the end of the season after Man United sacked his predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November. The German is expected to move into a consultancy role at the club at the beginning of the next campaign, as the club searches for a permanent manager to take over ahead of the next season.
The former RB Leipzig manager has overseen an upturn in fortunes since taking over the club towards the end of last year, only losing one game so far. Although Man United are not back in the mix for a top-four finish, it will not be easy as many of the teams below us have games in hand. Ensuring we finish in a Champions League spot is something that Rangnick must be rewarded for.
The 63-year-old arrived at Old Trafford amidst much fanfare, with hopes that he could turn the Red Devils into world-beaters while also deploying an attractive brand of football. It would be optimistic to say that the players have all adapted to his style of play, with the manager having to try different formations and tactics in an attempt to see which one fits best.
In recent weeks though, Rangnick finally appears to have settled on a regular team, and it seems that the German has hinted that he could put himself forward for the permanent role at the end of the season. That is if he proves to be successful at the club in his current role.
“Right now I’m fully aware they might be looking for a new manager. If they will, then [they will] speak with me about that we will see. For me now it’s about winning the next games and this is the major focus.”
Nicknamed the ‘Professor’, Rangnick enjoys a reputation as the one who developed and popularised the German pressing technique of Gegenpressing, where the team tries to win back possession by pressing high up the pitch instead of retreating and attempting to regroup. Modern German coaches and Manchester United rival bosses Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel are said to have high opinions of the 63-year-old and are aware of his genius.
Old Trafford has not yet seen the effects of his famed tactics just yet, with Rangnick preferring to try different styles and shapes to fit in his available players than impose his shapes and plans on the squad. So far under the German, we have not yet put in a completely convincing performance throughout the ninety minutes, dropping crucial points at times.
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Rangnick however, has imbibed the Man United way of promoting youth, with talented teenager Anthony Elanga a regular fixture in his team selection. The youngster has racked up back-to-back starts in recent gameweeks, with the Swede scoring midweek against Brentford.
Whether Rangnick turns out to be the permanent manager or not is a debate to be had at the end of the season. We can only hope that he is able to keep up Man United’s recent winning run, culminating in us securing a top-four finish.
