So far, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's replacement at Manchester United has been an interesting drama. But this week, the figure of Ralf Rangnick is claimed to be the most powerful rumor that will replace the man from Norwegian. Latest news says that he will be interim coach at first. Initially he refused, but the former RB Leibzig coach then accepted the offer, after being offered a new contract by the Manchester United management.
The football public then became enthusiastic about what Ralf Rangnick was trying to offer in Manchester United. The club from City of Manchester needed a better football concept than the previous one. Then, what is he trying to do?
Ralf Rangnick will try a pattern that's not really that different from his former club. He is known as a master of gegenpressing tactics. Even Jurgen Klopp, who is currently Liverpool's coach and Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded in building Chelsea, also learned from Ralf Rangnick. He said that his idea of football was a tactic with quick transitions, attacking, interesting to watch and trying to entertain the crowd.
For him, he likes to use any formation as long as it fits the pure role of the player. However, it is also important to see what opponents are prepared to do. So, what he applies doesn’t become a blunder on the field. Previously at Hoffenheim, the German coach liked to use a 4-3-3 formation where Firmino was still there. Then, when he was at RB Leipzig he changed to a formation 4-4-2 diamond.
For now, the player who best suits Ralf Rangnick's needs at Manchester United is Frederico Rodrigues Santos or better known as Fred. Why is Fred become the most vital player? he is a figure who is persistent in pressing compared to other players. He has made 224 successful pressings. When compared to his teammates, Bruno Fernandes did it 205 times and Paul Pogba who had presses successfully 135 times. So, Fred is desperately needed by Ralf Rangnick.
Then, what about Cristiano Ronaldo? Ronaldo is known as a figure who is loved by the Old Trafford public. However, this is not his era anymore. For the record, the pressing that he did was 39 times, it was lower than other Manchester United players. In addition to the age factor, another factor is the position as a striker which makes him not actively pressing. So that, he just waits for the ball to come from the second line. The worst case scenario, he would just sit on the bench.
I thought it was a conjecture that might happen. However, the above scenario will not necessarily be accurate.