Ralf Rangnick might not be winning everyone over at Manchester United right now, but one of his former players, Tim Hoogland, has given some fascinating insight into the highly-rated German tactician.
This is undoubtedly one of the biggest jobs Rangnick has taken on in his career so far, but he’s been hugely influential for the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel – two of the best managers in the world.
Hoogland played under all three managers, and has huge praise for Rangnick in an enlightening interview with The Athletic.
Man Utd fans will no doubt be interested to hear that Hoogland feels Rangnick is a genius, and more than just a coach, which perhaps bodes well for him as he’ll be moving into an administrative role once his spell as interim boss comes to an end in the summer.
“He was always a little bit more than a coach,” Hoogland said.
“He’s a really good communicator, his knowledge is unbelievable, he has a really clear vision of how football has to be played under him.
“He’s half-coach, half-sporting director. They call him The Architect in Germany.”
The Athletic’s report also reports on how Rangnick was teased for his ideas earlier in his career, when they were not yet common, earning him the nickname ‘The Professor’.
There’s clearly a lot that United’s players can learn from Rangnick, even if he’s so far struggled to get his ideas across.