Ralf Rangnick had the awkward task of filling in as an interim manager for Manchester United after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking.
By time he left, it looked very much like ‘right man, wrong job’. Ralf Rangnick was really brought to the club with a view to becoming a consultant at the end of the season.
By time 2021/22 wrapped up, Rangnick had lost patience with Manchester United, and Manchester United had lost patience with Rangnick.
The German departed by mutual consent, not sticking around as a consultant to help incoming permanent boss Erik ten Hag, as previously had been envisioned.
Ralf Rangnick proves a point
During his time as Austria manager Ralf Rangnick is proving that ‘right man, wrong job’ may have been a too simplistic view.
How about summing up his Manchester United spell with, ‘right man, wrong job, terrible set of players’?
Because even though his Austria team is less talented than his Manchester United side, they are a ‘team’, and are buying into his instructions.
Aside from the first 45 minutes of Rangnick’s first game in charge at home to Crystal Palace, United’s players never looked like being a team with the ability to properly conduct his strategy.
At Euro 2024, Rangnick’s Austria side have been impressive, narrowly beaten by favourites France due to an own goal, and then defeating Poland in a 3-1 win.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been impressed, praising the way Austria have been coached.
In reference to England’s struggles under Gareth Southgate, Ferdinand insisted he was a little jealous.
He told Five: “They’re not going to win it, but they’re playing really good football.
“You know what the biggest thing for me, the biggest thing for me, the biggest thing for me is they look like a well-coached team. That’s all I’m asking for.
“A team that looks well-coached and know what they’re doing in and out of possession.
“They attack together, they run off the ball, they’re out of possession, they defend. They keep possession off the ball.
“Just basics, man, please. Why am I looking at Austria with envy?”
Manchester United looked unable to do these things last season
The traits Ferdinand talks up, about a cohesive team working together in and out of possession, is something Manchester United fans were rarely treated to last season.
United’s performances were regularly picked apart by pundits, whether it was individual players not doing their jobs, or large gaps emerging in midfield, with half the team AWOL.
Manager Erik ten Hag would insist that his whole team was out-of-sync due to the chronic injury problems plaguing the team.
This could only placate his critics so far, leaving the Dutchman fighting for his job.
Ten Hag managed to sew it all together in time to defeat City in the FA Cup Final, and looking good in doing so, like a real team. It left fans wondering what took him so long?
Rangnick meanwhile, is answering his own critics, showing that he knew what he was doing all along.
If Ten Hag had been fired, would he have gone on to do the same elsewhere, leaving fans to once again point the finger at Manchester United’s players for failing to listen to him?