After firing manager and club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last week, Manchester United won a Champions League game against Villarreal with Michael Carrick as their caretaker. But the club announced that a new manager will be taking the reins moving forward.
On Thursday, the Athletic UK reported that Ralf Rangnick has been hired as their interim manager of Manchester United for the rest of the season. He will play out the 2021-22 Premier League season on a six-month deal.
Rangnick won’t be available to take over for the team this weekend in their game against Chelsea. Per the report, he is waiting for a work permit to coach in England. It’s Rangnick’s first job in English soccer.
But that isn’t bothering the Man United fans one bit. Rangnick is one of the foremost experts on the gegenpressing play style, and fans are excited to see his system work:
The Godfather of Gegenpressing. Ralf Rangnick to Manchester United is about to happen real soon. 🔥
Who’s excited?🙋🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/ofqDK2Mxl5
— United Focus🔰 (@utdfocusid) November 25, 2021
Godfather of gegenpressing managing a striker who presses as frequently as a centre back. Might be kind of fun. https://t.co/QLGwJIyXXN
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) November 25, 2021
The Godfather of Gegenpressing. The Professor. The TRUTH.
Ralf Rangnick to Manchester United, Let’s Dance🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/NYvy1rqoOV
— Lyés (@WholeLottaLyes) November 25, 2021
High intensity, gegenpressing, winning the ball back immediately, line breaking passes instead of boring sideway nonsense – I know that a player that might enjoy playing under Ralf Ragnick pic.twitter.com/Fw0RmbMi2r
— with sense (@analmylatina) November 25, 2021
Ralf Rangnick made his bones in German soccer, managing his first professional team at the age of 20. It took him over 15 years to reach the Bundesliga, during which he continued to develop gegenpressing into soccer’s most exciting style of play.
Between 1999 and 2011, Rangnick managed multiple Bundesliga clubs. He led Hannover out of the second division in 2002 and Schalke to a DFB-Pokal title in 2011.
But it was Rangnick’s work with RB Leipzig that propelled him into global prominence. He joined the club as sporting director in 2012 and oversaw Leipzig’s rapid rise from the third division into a perennial Bundesliga contender within a few years.
Rangnick spent several years as the club’s interim manager, leading them to a DFB-Pokal Final in 2019.
Will Ralf Rangnick find success as Manchester United’s manager?
The post Soccer World Reacts To New Manchester United Manager appeared first on The Spun.