Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United could have doubts over approaching interim boss Ralf Rangnick for advice over next manager
According to The Athletic (Subscription Required), sources close to Manchester United have questioned approaching interim boss Ralf Rangnick for advice over the appointment of the new permanent manager in the summer. PSG’s Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax’s Erik ten Hag are two names that continue to be linked with us ahead of the summer.
The German was brought in by the club late last year on an interim basis to help steer the side to a top-four finish by the end of the season after the team struggled under his predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and failed to deliver results.
So far, the former RB Leipzig manager has done a fair job in the Premier League, with United only losing once since Rangnick took over. However, they have seen a FA Cup exit at the hands of Championship side Middlesbrough, losing a possibility of winning a trophy this season.
Rangnick will take up a consultancy role with the club once his tenure as interim manager is up in the summer. However, his consultancy has not been defined exactly, with no definitive work schedule mapped out after the end of the season.
Influence the decision
It is said that there are people close to United who have doubts about the club approaching Rangnick over the appointment of a new permanent manager, as the German is likely to influence the decision over his successor.
Rangnick currently will only be focused on the remaining three months of the season, and hope that he can help his team qualify for the Champions League next term. Although there are doubts about the club approaching him for his wisdom, it is said that a positive finish by the end of the season would strengthen his hand for offering advice.
Rangnick is one of the most experienced managers in England, with the German previously in charge of Schalke, Leipzig, and Hoffenheim. Considered to be the expert on gegenpressing, which helped bring success to elite coaches like Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, he is clearly a master tactician.
Not only on the pitch, but the interim boss also has knowledge and experience with management and the inner workings at football clubs, with the former Leipzig man in charge at Lokomotiv Moscow as a technical director before United came calling.
Given this, it seems a little absurd that people within United have doubts about the German having a say in the club’s next managerial appointment. But then again, his time in Manchester is not really going according to plan.
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He had public ‘misunderstandings’ with Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial earlier this season. Both have struggled for playing time recently but things reached a boiling point under Rangnick. That, coupled with a lack of consistency in results, has delivered a reality check to the German boss.
Although the final decision of who the club appoints as their next permanent manager rests with the senior club officials, Rangnick’s advice can still be completely discounted, given the massive experience and wisdom he brings along with his current job. ten Hag and Pochettino are two managers constantly linked with us this term, but it remains to be seen if we can appoint either of them ahead of next season.
