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Former Manchester United midfielder Andrei Kanchelskis has defended Ralf Rangnick’s decision to leave Lokomotiv Moscow for the Premier League side.
Rangnick is expected to take over as Manchester United's interim manager before transitioning into a consulting role for two years after the 2021-22 season.
The German took over as director of football at Lokomotiv Moscow earlier in the year, so his departure does come as a shock.
Kanchelskis, however, feels anyone would leave to work at a massive club like Manchester United.
“If Ralf [Rangnick] is invited, then in England he is known and followed by his work. This is a great challenge. Who would refuse to go to [Manchester] United to work? Everyone would leave. We must wish Rangnick good luck,” Kanchelskis said.
Ralf Rangnick is expected to bring some direction at Manchester United
Although Manchester United initially made good progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they failed to win trophies and eventually moved backwards.
One of Solskjaer’s biggest issues was the absence of a coherent game plan. For a while, they were a counter-attacking team, but they never really became the proactive side that their fans demanded.
Teams often play front-footed and pressing football under Rangnick. The German is known as the “Godfather of German football” because of his high-intensity style.
Although Rangnick will take a while to eventually get the squad to play his type of football, his long-term presence could finally bring about a structure at Manchester United.
Rangnick had tremendous success at RB Leipzig, even though silverware eluded him during his spell there. His most notable spell was with Schalke, who he led to the Champions League semi-final in 2011.
Schalke’s last trophy, which they won in 2011, also came under Rangnick when they lifted the DFB Pokal after knocking out Bayern Munich on the way.
Although he is already 63, Rangnick has never tried his luck in a competitive league like the Premier League. His approach could ultimately benefit a Manchester United squad that has a lot of gifted players who have underperformed so far.
