"Speculation and reports are speculation and reports" - Michael Carrick reacts to talk of Ralf Rangnick becoming interim Manchester United manager
Stand-in Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick laughed off reports that Ralf Rangnick was about to be coronated at Old Trafford as the new interim manager on Saturday.
As we reported earlier, former RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick is already in Manchester to put pen-to-paper on a new deal that will see him assume the managerial reins for six months.
Manchester United are in advanced talks with Ralf Rangnick as interim manager, as revealed by @David_Ornstein @lauriewhitwell earlier today 🔴🇩🇪 #MUFC
Deal not finalized yet - talks ongoing with Lokomotiv Moscow. Rangnick and Man Utd want to be respectful as he’s under contract. https://t.co/wMFy9wseCE
Rangnick has been in the Red Bull GmbH setup since 2012 holding a variety of posts. His most recent role in 2019 as Head of Sport and Development for Red Bull GmbH had put him at the helm to run the rule over all football activities at Red Bull-affiliated clubs.
In July 2021, he moved to Russia to take up a similar position at Lokomotiv Moscow. Rangnick's tweaking of the Gegenpres is highly respected and is comparable to the impact Marcelo Bielsa's methods have had on South American and Spanish-speaking coaches.
It's this work that has been credited as having influenced the careers of some top coaches in Central Europe, including Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralph Hasenhuttl, and Jurgen Klopp.
Carrick, similarly, only stands to benefit should Rangnick be announced as the new manager. However, when quizzed by the media about the latest developments at Carrington, the former Man U midfielder was coy.
The caretaker Manchester United told MirrorFootball ahead of a tough Chelsea test:
"To be honest, from my point of view, not a lot really (news regarding Rangnick's appointment) speculation and reports are speculation and reports. So as I’m sitting here now preparing the team for the game, really, my head's on the game. I haven't got any more news to share with you on that front."
Ralf Rangnick has had a huge influence on modern football 🤝 https://t.co/g3pp5STmkd
When is Rangnick expected to start?
It has been speculated that Rangnick could commence his duties on Monday, in time for the Arsenal game on December 2. This comes after it was established that Lokomotiv Moscow had already given Manchester United the green light to sign the German.
The 63-year-old tactician will have the difficult task of rallying a fractured dressing room behind him. However, it's a job he’ll relish according to two of his most famous students.
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp responded to the Rangnick-Man U links by saying:
“Unfortunately a good coach is coming to England and Man Utd. He built most famously two clubs from nowhere to proper threats and forces in Germany, one with Hoffenheim and Leipzig."
He added:
"He did a lot of different jobs in football but always his first concern was being a coach and a manager. That's what his best skill is, obviously. United will be organised on the pitch, we should realise that - that's obviously not good news for other teams!"
Julian Nagelsmann of Bayern Munich was also confident that Rangnick was the right man for the job. He told Spox:
"I wrote to him to say that I think it's awesome. He will do Man Utd very well with his power and the way he plays football. I think United will have some good games over the next few weeks and I'd like to see him stay as manager for longer than just until the summer.”
Having already seen Rangnick’s much-publicized move to Milan fall through in the summer of 2020 after negotiations broke down, fans will have to wait and see how this one pans out.
Agreement in place between Manchester United and Lokomotiv Moscow for Ralf Rangnick. Deal will most likely be signed late this weekend. 🔴🇩🇪 #MUFC
Ralf Rangnick already has an agreement to join as interim manager and then with ‘consultancy’ role starting from June 2022. https://t.co/KlwokAGm5P