When Manchester United sacked Solskjaer, it seemed like they didn’t have a concrete plan for what to do next and widely reported targets Mauricio Pochettino and Erik Ten Hag were midway through seasons at their respective clubs making them impossible to get.
When it became clear that they’d likely have to wait until the end of the season to hire one of their primary targets, finding an accomplished interim became the goal.
In appointing Ralf Rangnick as interim manager till the end of the season followed by a consultancy role beyond that, Manchester United have taken a rare long-sighted and positive step.
Manchester United have official contracts and paperworks now ready to announce Ralf Rangnick appointment as interim coach - deal until June. 🔴 #MUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 29, 2021
Two years ‘consultancy’ role confirmed. He’ll have an influence on new manager decision & contracts expiring in the summer.
Manchester United’s recruitment of both managers and players in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era has been plagued with no central ideology or style.
They’ve gone about hiring different managers with different playing styles and making signings in line with each manager’s philosophy only to find that their recruitment didn’t fit with that of the next manager.
In hiring Rangnick, United may have done the best thing that they could do – buy into a progressive style of football towards which all future recruitment could be geared to allow longevity and fit.