- Planet Sport writer
- 21 July 2024
Erik ten Hag: Standards at Man Utd 'need to go up'
Erik ten Hag admits that Manchester United are making progress but has agreed with Ralf Rangnick that the club needed a complete overhaul.
Ralf Rangnick is a renowned German coach who is widely considered to be the 'godfather' of modern German 'gengenpress' philosophy.
It's a style of play that centres around winning the ball back immediately after possession is lost rather than falling back into organised defensive positions.
Other coaches, including Jurgen Klopp have been heavily influenced by Rangnick.
Playing career
Ralf Rangnick did not enjoy a distinguished playing career. He started off as a youth player at VfB Stuttgart, but left to pursue studies without ever making an appearance.
His first club was actually in England, where he represented Southwick in the Mid-Sussex League while studying at the University of Sussex.
Rangnick then had an low-key career in Germany, representing VfR Heilbronn, Ulm 1846, FC Viktoria Backnang and TSV Lippoldsweiler. At the latter two clubs, Rangnick was player-coach.
Coaching beginnings
Rangnick returned to Stuttgart to begin his full-time coaching career and was handed charge of the club's under-19s in 1990. He quickly made an impression, leading the youngsters to the U-19 Bundesliga title in 1991.
That caught the attention of clubs in the German leagues, and it wasn't long before Reuttingen 05 offered him a chance to take over. He was in charge there for 18 months, losing just 13 matches and winning more than half of his 51 at the helm.
Midway through the 1996/97 season, former club Ulm 1946 came calling. Again, success followed him as he led them to the Regionalliga Sud championship in his only full season.
Big break at Stuttgart
It came as little surprise when Stuttgart wanted him back, this time to coach their senior team. He took over in 1999 and led them to a repsectable eighth-placed finish in his first full season.
However, the following season saw the club unable to kick on. They performed well in the cups, but their Bundesliga form was underwhelming.
With the club in a precarious position just above the relegation zone, Rangnick was dismissed with a win percentage of 41.86% - his lowest in senior coaching.
Rebounding at Hannover 96 and building of Hoffenheim
Rangnick had to go back to the 2. Bundesliga for his next job. Hannover 96 had been exiled from the top division for 13 years, but Rangnick quickly put that to an end.
He led them to promotion in his first season before consolidating with a mid-table finish in the Bundesliga. The following season, though, with Hannover in 15th, Rangnick lost his job again.
Rangnick was not out of the game for long, though. The following season he was tempted by the ambitious owners of 1899 Hoffenheim.
The club was playing in the Regionalliga Sud at the time, but Rangnick guided them to back-to-back promotions in his first two seasons in charge.
They started brilliantly in the Bundesliga too, but fell away in the second half of the campaign to finish seventh.
Another good season was to follow, with the club consolidating in mid-table, but Rangnick decided to quit over the club's decision to sell key player Luiz Gustavo to Bayern Munich without his knowledge.
Champions League magic at Schalke
Three months after leaving Hoffenheim, Rangnick was appointed coach of Schalke 04.
Although they were struggling a little in the Bundesliga, Schalke were still in the Champions League and it was a challenge that Rangnick relished.
They came up against defending champions Inter Milan in the quarter-finals and beat them convincingly 7-3 on aggregate. Manchester United awaited in the semis, and that proved a step too far for Rangnick and Schalke.
Although he did well statistically at Schalke, Rangnick's reign was cut short by chromic fatigue syndrome, forcing him to resign and rest.
Brief executive career and return to coaching
With burn-out becoming a real danger, Rangnick took a step back from coaching and took a director of football role at both Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig.
Twice during his stay at Leipzig he took over coaching duties too. First for the 2015/16 season when Alexander Zorniger resigned, and then for the 2018/19 season. Both stints in charge were successful with him first getting promotion to the Bundesliga and then qualifying for the Champions League.
Manchester United
Following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking, Rangnick was appointed interim manager of Manchester United for the remainder of the 2021/22 season.
He revealed his deal included a two-year consultancy role after his term as manager had finished, and with United announcing in April 2022 that Erik ten Hag will take charge from the 2022/23 season onwards, Rangnick will head upstairs next season.
Rangnick's time at Old Trafford didn't offer much success, with the Red Devils failing to win any silverware or reach the Champions League during his months in charge.
United finished sixth in the Premier League under his leadership, and his side were on the wrong end of some embarassing results, including heavy defeats to rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.
Austrian national team
Weeks before Rangnick's Old Trafford reign came to an end, it was announced that Rangnick would take charge of the Austrian national team as manager, starting in the 2022/23 season.
Rangnick signed a two-year deal with the side, with an extension offered if he is able to help them qualify for the 2024 Euros.
Personal life
Rangnick is married to Gabriele Lamm-Rangnick and has been since the 1990s. They have two sons: David and Kevin Rangnick.
Reported net worth
Rangnick is reported to have a net worth of £15million.
