Man United can use Ralf Rangnick to improve their own football operation

In their search for an interim manager Manchester United couldn’t have alighted on a more respected, experienced or authoritative figure than Ralf Rangnick.

The 63-year-old is one of the deepest thinkers about the game in Europe and his principles of play have influenced the current breed of German managers dominating the game, including Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann and Jurgen Klopp.

Not only has Rangnick taken charge of 722 games across a 34-year coaching career, but he’s also thrived in executive roles, particularly in the Red Bull group and at RB Leipzig. He has a finger on the pulse of how a football club should work.

His six months in charge of United will be fascinating in terms of how quickly he can turn this team into one that fits the Rangnick profile, which is heavily focused on pressing. His own influences include Valeriy Lobanovskyi and Arrigo Sacchi, two coaches who helped to introduce the concept of pressing into the game.

He has the coaching experience and the tactical ability to stabilise United’s season, ensuring a top-four finish in the Premier League and conceivably mounting a challenge for the Champions League.

But it might be the most intriguing and beneficial aspect of Rangnick’s employment at Old Trafford will be what comes after his spell as interim manager has ended. A consultancy role for a couple of years looks to be in the offing and it’s fair to wonder what United might have achieved across the last nine years had they turned to someone with the credibility and knowledge on football of Rangnick back in 2013, or at any point since.

That doesn’t necessarily mean appointing Rangnick as manager back then, but having him in an advisory role or even in an executive position, such as director of football, could have given United structure and continuity during their post-Sir Alex Ferguson years. Instead, they veered from one strategy to another and are barely any further down the road to success than they were in 2014.

The exact nature of Rangnick’s post-managerial role is yet to be clarified, but he wouldn’t leave Lokomotiv Moscow, where he has worked as head of sports and development, since the summer, without the guarantee of continued employment beyond May.

There will be critics who suggest his position could cause confusion, that a new permanent manager, such as Mauricio Pochettino, would have to accommodate Rangnick as well as football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher.

But the German is used to holding different roles within a club and has shown across his career an ability to make the dynamics work, to find a way to slot into a system and still influence the organisation he’s working for.

For United, having Rangnick on board beyond next summer has plenty of potential benefits. The former Hoffenheim and Schalke coach has always been media-friendly and happy to discuss his long-term principles and he could smooth the path between the on-pitch operation at Old Trafford and the boardroom.

With Ed Woodward set to depart as executive vice-chairman at the end of the year, with Richard Arnold lined up as his replacement, it could benefit the new man, who has little experience of running a football club, to have Rangnick’s ear for advice and instruction.

Similarly, his presence around Old Trafford and Carrington could help Murtough and Fletcher, who were appointed to their roles earlier this year but are still finding their feet in the structure and working out the exact terms of what they do. Fletcher was appointed technical director but has had boots on during training and has become more central on matchday as well, sitting on the bench recently and overseeing the warm-up in Villarreal on Tuesday night.

Murtough has been at United since January 2014 and to have risen through the ranks despite the managerial upheaval in that time suggests a shrewd operator with plenty to offer the club. His promotion to the role of United’s first football director back in March was a low-key appointment and it’s his first role of that stature at a club, although he does have a long career in the game and has worked as the Premier League’s head of elite performance.

A club statement released at the time detailed how Murtough’s role would work and although it referenced his job working alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the brief should remain the same whoever is in charge.

“As football director, John will work day-to-day with Ole to align recruitment and other strategies and to ensure that the first team has the best-in-class operational support it needs to succeed,” the statement said.

“Ole will continue his role in the recruitment process, supported by extensive scouting and data analytics functions that will continue to report to John. Matt Judge [previously head of corporate development] will also report to John, with a new title of Director of Football Negotiations.

“John will have overall leadership and responsibility for operations and strategy across all football functions, reinforcing the strong foundations already in place. This appointment builds on the work John has already undertaken in recent years, working closely with Ole Gunnar Solskjær and the rest of the football staff to create the structures, processes and culture to deliver sustained success on the pitch. This has included successful overhauls of the club’s academy and recruitment department.”

That is a significant role but it could help Murtough to have Rangnick on hand to bounce ideas off and have discussions with. While Murtough will want to continue to have his own authority, he is finding his feet in this kind of role, while Rangnick has years of experience.

If United’s football director can use the consultancy of Rangnick wisely, he could benefit as much as anyone from having the German around beyond the end of his interim role as manager.