“Can’t think of one job where he hasn’t overachieved” – Owen Hargreaves dismisses Ralf Rangnick concerns at Manchester United

Former Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves is beyond excited to see Ralf Rangnick on the cusp of being appointed the club's interim manager.

Rangnick is all set to take over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who oversaw five league defeats in seven games in a calamitous start to the campaign. The defeat at Watford proved to be the final straw that broke the camel's back. Among the list of potential contenders, Rangnick appears to be the most likely to take over, albeit as interim manager.

Hargreaves, who won titles with Bayern Munich and United, heaped praise on Rangnick. He said that the 'sky is the limit' with the 63-year-old tactician, who has had a decent managerial career spanning more than three decades. Hargreaves said:

"The first time it was Ulm, a tiny little team, and they came out of nowhere. You think about Hoffenheim, and you think about the Red Bull projects, Leipzig and Salzburg. He is an innovator, and he’s a football man, and that’s a beautiful thing.

"They beat one of Jurgen Klopp’s teams 4-1, and after Jurgen Klopp said he wanted his teams to play like that. How big a compliment do you want to make somebody?"

Hargreaves noted that praise from Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp are enough to allay any concerns about Rangnick's pedigree. He said:

"Credit to him for inspiring that generation, and maybe they’ve taken on his teachings and tweaked it a little bit to their style. But to get a compliment from Tuchel and Klopp, you couldn’t get any bigger ones.

Rangnick has indeed achieved a lot, rather 'overachieved' at most of the teams he has managed to date. However, the United job would be first at a top club, and his lack of major trophies is concerning. Nevertheless, Hargreaves said that Rangnick should be able to step up, saying:

"I can’t think of one job he’s done where he hasn’t overachieved. The whole trophy thing, I’m not too worried about that because he’s never had a group of players like this."

Ralf Rangnick has reportedly agreed a six-month deal to manage Manchester United till the end of May. After that, he could assume a consultancy role for a minimum period of two years. The German legend could be in charge of United for the game against Arsenal. But he would be unavailable at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea today.

Rangnick is seen as the inspiration behind the recent generation of highly successful German coaches. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of the former Leipzig man. Meanwhile, Tuchel and Julian Nagglesman are also said to have directly implemented aspects from the 63-year-old tactician's playbook.

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"It's not the same thing" - Paul Merson plays down prowess of Manchester United's potential interim manager Ralf Rangnick

RB Salzburg vs RB Leipzig - UEFA Europa League - Group B

While Ralf Rangnick has a massive reputation in German football, Paul Merson isn't convinced that would suffice for a club of Manchester United's pedigree. Merson doesn't think the star manager's work with modest German teams in the past would stand him in good stead for the United job.

Paul Merson said in this regard:

"I'm hearing people going how great he is - but he has never managed in England; he has never managed one of the top teams in the world. Why is that? Why has no one else come in for him when managers have been up?"

"I hear great things about him; people saying he's going to press, and he's hard working, and he's turned lesser teams into real contenders. But that's a lot different, getting a Schalke or a Hoffenheim to a certain stage."

It remains to be seen how Rangnick steps up and proves his naysayers wrong in what would be the biggest managerial assignment of his illustrious career till date.