A new era is starting for Manchester United with Ralf Rangnick arriving as the club’s interim manager. He will be in the managerial hot seat till the end of the season after which he is expected to take a consultancy role with the club for two years while the Red Devils will search for a long-term manager next summer when more options are available.
The appointment of Rangnick is certainly a big one for Manchester United. The German is one of the most influential managers of his generation and shaped the idea of Gegenpressing, which has been used by other managers to great success in the Premier League already.
Thus, it is safe to say that Manchester United’s style of play is expected to undergo a bit of a transformation over the coming months as Rangnick will come with his all-action, intense pressing style of football.
Patrice Evra does not seem to be completely on board with the idea though. As reported by Manchester Evening News, he said on Amazon Prime:
"“United have a DNA, a way to play so now we’re going to be based on Rangnick’s style of play? Where is the history of my club? This man is going to come and say we play like that?“Manchester United played for so many years in a way so now this guy is in charge of the United style of play. I’m starting to be really frustrated.”"
Evra does not seem to be completely on board with Manchester United’s Rangnick appointment
To be honest, that could be said about any managerial appointment at this point of time as every manager is going to have his own style of play.
It is not something that the club have not done before. Neither Jose Mourinho nor Louis van Gaal are managers that you would consider as ones whose sides play the ‘Manchester United style of football’.
In fact, in that regard, perhaps the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appointment was the closest to that style. But as we have seen, it did not bring the club any silverware. And it might have been time for a change.
Was it the right decision to bring in Rangnick? Only time shall tell. It was certainly worth trying it out though.