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Chelsea take on Manchester United in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Before the match, reports have emerged of Ralf Rangnick, the soon-to-be Manchester United coach, heaping praise on a rival player.
Comments caught on camera can come back to fan controversy at the most inopportune moments. This could be the case with Ralf Rangnick.
However, as we've seen this past week, German coaches tend to speak their minds. Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp recently acknowledged Rangnick's pedigree. Former Manchester United target Julian Nagelsmann said he'd already messaged Rangnick, a rival in the Bundesliga, to congratulate him. Germans apparently never skirt around an issue.
The incoming Red Devils boss is definitely cut from the same cloth. Since the Rangnick-Manchester United links, headlines about the German boldly discussing his tactics and that of rival coaches have resurfaced.
Rangnick spoke to Sky Sports in September 2020 after he'd left his role with Red Bull Salzburg. It emerged that the former Schalke 04 and Hannover 96 coach is a huge admirer of Kai Havertz.
At the time, Havertz had just signed for Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen to bring to an end a protracted £90m ($120m) transfer.
Rangnick told the broadcaster in a lengthy tactical analysis of the German midfielder:
"I have no doubts whatsoever that he will become a sustainable success and that he will become one of the top players in the next two or three years. Maybe, he will need a couple of weeks to get adjusted because he has a fantastic family background. I know that because I was also trying to convince him to join us at Leipzig, but he was completely dedicated to Bayer Leverkusen."
He further added:
"He's one of those players where I don't see any weaknesses in his game. He's the type of modern Johan Cruyff - he can score goals and he can provide assists."
He continued:
"He can play as a nine or nine-and-a-half. I don't see him as a winger but in the central area of the pitch, he's extremely valuable. I have no doubt that this transfer will prove to be a success story for Chelsea and for Kai. His best position is either a No 10 or in a 4-3-3, he can play as one of the two offensive No 8s in midfield."
Rangnick also talked about Havertz's ability to score and make goals. He added:
"He's very versatile and almost the complete offensive midfielder with a complete 360-degree radar to score goals and provide assists. It's only a question of time for the whole league to see what kind of player Chelsea have signed."
Havertz is a doubt for today's clash due to a hamstring injury. Rangnick could still be left red-faced should Chelsea emerge victorious in the 4:30pm GMT clash at Stamford Bridge.
The blues are top of the table with 29 points after 12 matches while Manchester United are ninth, 12 points behind.
What this means for Rangnick and Manchester United
The Telegraph has announced that trimming the bloated squad in January will be Rangnick's priority. He will be opposed to adding to the £1b ($1.33b) plus that Manchester United have used on players this past decade.
The news could be either Ed Woodward putting his foot down on wanton spending before he leaves at the end of the year. Or it could be the German strategist choosing to resort to his tactical genius to get something out of an expensively assembled squad.
Either way, Rangnick will have to look from within to find his Havertz-like player. With Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Donny van de Beek, Jesse Lingard and Bruno Fernandes he already has plenty of midfielders who can score and assist.
Others like Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford can assist and score many, many goals.
That said, Manchester United's current position puts them out of the Champions League, Europa League and UEFA Conference League next season. Fans will be hoping Rangnick can inspire a quick turnaround.
