Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick brushes aside talk of new permanent manager in the summer
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has dismissed any talks about the new permanent manager that the club is looking to appoint in the summer.
This comes right before Rangnick is preparing to lead his United side out against Atletico Madrid later tonight, as a Champions League Round of 16 fixture awaits the Red Devils at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid for the first leg of the tie.
When quizzed about what the future held for the incoming permanent manager at the end of the current season, the German brushed aside the question as he said the club’s full focus is on the present situation and would only speak about events in the present tense.
Rangnick was appointed as interim manager towards the end of last year, after United sacked Ole Gunnar Soklsjaer as head coach after a poor start to the season. The former RB Leipzig boss will take charge of the club until the end of the current campaign, before taking up a consultancy role at Old Trafford for the next two years.
End of the season
The UCL is the club’s only shot at a trophy this term, so one cannot fault Rangnick for focussing on the Champions League clash against Atletico tonight. Further, the German has started a winning run in the Premier League of late, and he will look to continue it until the end of the campaign.
There is no doubt that a new permanent manager will be appointed in the summer as United eye suitable candidates for the job. The appointment has to be right, given that the club has not won silverware since 2017.
Rangnick himself could have an outside chance at getting the role, given his impressive start to life at the club. The team have only lost once in the league under the German, and if United beat Atletico tonight and go all the way to lifting the UCL trophy, the interim boss stands a good chance of nabbing the post.
United took a similar approach last time, appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as interim manager and then giving him the full-time job later in the season. That approach has not had any success with regard to trophies, with the ex-United player taking the side only to the Europa League final before losing to Villarreal on penalties.
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Fans would recall that it was our comeback win against PSG in the second leg of the 2018/19 UCL tie that really boosted Ole’s chances of being installed as our permanent boss- which he was not long after that win.
So far, it is said that the club has identified Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag as leading candidates to take up the job in the summer. It remains to be seen whether the club will appoint one of the two as their next permanent manager ahead of the 2022/23 season.
