Ralf Rangnick, the new interim manager of Manchester United, has previously coached Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, and now “The Professor” will utilize his methodical approach to help his beleaguered Premier League side.
Rangnick was hired on Monday after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired last week following a humiliating 4-1 loss at Watford, which showed the kind of uncertainty and lethargy that the German despises.
The absence of cohesion in Solskjaer’s leadership was a defining feature of his failure.
Rangnick’s support for Liverpool manager Klopp’s “gegenpressing” (counter-pressing) mentality says United is set to be brought into the twenty-first century.
Rangnick was tempted away from his position as head of sports and development at Lokomotiv Moscow after learning that Paris Saint-Germain were unwilling to part with Mauricio Pochettino at this time.
If the 63-year-old can repeat the success of his loyal students at Liverpool and Chelsea, it could be a blessing in disguise.
Liverpool manager Klopp utilised Rangnick’s techniques to win the Premier League and the Champions League, while Chelsea manager Tuchel is a huge fan since United’s new manager gave him his first coaching job in Stuttgart.
Rangnick turned down an interim offer from Chelsea in January, allowing Tuchel to win the Champions League in his debut season as the Blues’ manager.
Klopp and Tuchel are firm believers in Rangnick’s rigorous strategy, which he developed after seeing Valeriy Lobanovskyi’s Dynamo Kiev in the 1980s.
“That was the turning point in my football career. I realized there was a different method to play, and I was intrigued “Rangnick remarked.
The desire to use high-tempo pressing tactics during matches fuels the German’s concern with his players’ response times in training.
In 2008, Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund experienced an eye-opening 4-1 setback at the hands of Rangnick’s Hoffenheim, and he instantly learned from his opponent’s method.
Rangnick remarked in an interview with the Coaches’ Voice website: “Our concept is clear: it’s quite similar to Jurgen Klopp, my almost-coaching friend. Our football is heavy metal, rock and roll, and there are no slow balls in our league.”
Klopp reacted angrily to Rangnick’s appointment, saying it was bad news for United’s opponents.
He stated, “Ralf is definitely a very experienced manager.” “Unfortunately, an excellent coach is on his way to England.”
‘TRUST AND EMPATHY’ are two words that come to mind when thinking about trust and empathy.
Rangnick’s ability to persuade Cristiano Ronaldo to carry out his instructions will be fascinating to watch, given the striker’s apparent hesitation to get his hands dirty this season.
Rangnick’s presence may benefit more than just Ronaldo; with United’s often shambolic defending being one area where his rigorous approach may definitely improve, Rangnick’s arrival may benefit more than just Ronaldo.
Rangnick was one of the first coaches to use video analysts and sports psychologists, and while he used to have a tough-guy demeanor, he has evolved.
“Today’s leadership is about being persuasive and providing a motivational foundation so that the athletes want to come in every day and improve,” he stated.
“This is about human relationships, trust, and empathy.”
Rangnick’s style, according to Lutz Pfannenstiel, who worked with him at Hoffenheim, is suitable for bringing United out of their funk.
“In Germany, we refer to him as “the football professor.” Everything he does is meticulously planned, and the way he sets up structures at each club is incredible “According to Pfannenstiel, who spoke to the BBC.
Rangnick, a self-described Anglophile, attended the University of Sussex in the 1970s to study English and physical education.
During his time in England, he also played non-league football for Southwick and worked as an intern at Arsenal.
Rangnick’s coaching career began in Germany, where he worked with Stuttgart, Hannover, Hoffenheim, Schalke, and RB Leipzig, where he was most recently in charge in 2019.
Rangnick has only one big title to his name: the German Cup, which he won with Schalke in 2011.
He did, however, lead Schalke to the Champions League semifinals in 2011, where they were defeated by Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson, and Hoffenheim to the Bundesliga with straight promotions.
Rangnick has decided to continue as a consultant at Old Trafford for another two years after his six-month interim tenure.
United hopes that by the time he leaves, Rangnick’s lessons will have lifted the bar at a club that has come a long way since Ferguson’s glory days.