Ralf Rangnick in at Manchester United!
After a span of a few months of the team's dismal performances and recent results not meeting Manchester United's standards and at the helm of the team's poor results led to United's board parting ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United were desperate in search of a new manager who can take the club forward.
There have been rumors spreading all around on a daily basis with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Brendan Rodgers, Ralf Rangnick, Luis Enrique, Julen Lopetegui and Earnesto Valverde the likely candidates to take up the managerial role.
They finally have their man, Ralf Rangnick, who is set to be named the club's interim boss until the end of the season. The 63 year old German will replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on a six-month contract, after which he'll take up a consultancy role for a further two years.
Who is Ralf Rangnick?
![Ralf Rangnick - the professor, 'the pioneer of Gegenpressing'](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/cf8fb-16378895470464-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/cf8fb-16378895470464-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/cf8fb-16378895470464-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/cf8fb-16378895470464-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/cf8fb-16378895470464-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/cf8fb-16378895470464-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/cf8fb-16378895470464-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/cf8fb-16378895470464-1920.jpg 1920w)
Born : 29 June 1958
Birthplace : Backnang, Germany
Teams managed : RB Leipzig, FC Schalke 04, TSG Hoffenheim, Stuttgart, SSV Reutlingen
Presently working as Head of Sports and Development at FC Locomotiv Moscow, Russia
![Ralf Rangnick during his managerial period at RB Leipzig](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/4c2e0-16378923461753-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/4c2e0-16378923461753-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/4c2e0-16378923461753-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/4c2e0-16378923461753-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/4c2e0-16378923461753-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/4c2e0-16378923461753-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/4c2e0-16378923461753-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/4c2e0-16378923461753-1920.jpg 1920w)
Ralf Rangnick is considered the godfather of German coaching. He is the mastermind behind Gegenpressing. The top German managers in football right now - Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann and Hansi Flick - have all been influenced by Ralf Rangnick and consider him their idol.
Some of his notable achievements were :
- Rangnick took RB Leipzig from the 4th Division in the German football and transformed them into a top club in Germany and Europe
- He took FC Schalke to the UEFA Champions League semifinal 2011 after knocking out Benfica, Valencia and the Champions Inter Milan.
- He also took Hoffenheim from 3rd tier to Bundesliga in two seasons.
- Rangnick has won seven trophies at various levels across the course of his coaching career.
![Julian Nagelsmann's admiration for his idol Ralf Rangnick](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/3a665-16378909679563-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/3a665-16378909679563-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/3a665-16378909679563-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/3a665-16378909679563-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/3a665-16378909679563-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/3a665-16378909679563-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/3a665-16378909679563-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/3a665-16378909679563-1920.jpg 1920w)
Speaking about Rangnick and Klopp’s influence on him, Nagelsmann told the Bundesliga earlier this year: "They certainly introduced a distinct style into Germany, which had perhaps been practised previously in Italy, by Sarri and others.
“Overall there tend to be trends in football that come and go and come and go. Ralf started using his extreme pressing and quick transitions all the way down in the fifth tier, the Oberliga.
“Jurgen Klopp did the same in the Bundesliga with Mainz and with Dortmund. He has always described his Gegenpress as his teams' playmaker. They're a pair of minds who brought a certain style of football to prominence and who continue to do so.”
Nagelsmann added: "Football matches are always defined by an interplay of various phases of play, because I don't think I've ever seen a game in which a team could play exclusively transitions, exclusively press, or exclusively have possession.
“The most successful teams have to solve problems in each of the four phases of play and at set-pieces. “Dependent on coaching tastes there will always be preferences and emphasis on specific phases, and Ralf Rangnick and Klopp definitely put more weight on opposition possession and transition than Pep Guardiola does."