Former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has reportedly recommended Germany national team manager Julian Nagelsmann as a possible managerial candidate to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Sports group.
There has been an uplift in results since the beginning of 2024, but the pressure remains on Erik ten Hag’s shoulders as United cling onto the race for a top four finish and book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Losing 2-1 to Fulham last weekend came as a big setback, especially since we are travelling to the Etihad to face Man City on Sunday. I’d feel more confident if we had another 3+ points on the board going into the Manchester derby…
The uncertainty over Ten Hag’s future had led to numourous reports linking United with different managers. We’ve read the stories about Roberto de Zerbi being admired by Ineos as well as former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.
However, the latest name linked with the United job is Nagelsmann.
According to Peter Hall via iNews, Nagelsmann is one of the coaches being considered by Ineos, after a recommendation from Rangnick.
The report also claims that Zindane, who has been out of work since leaving Madrid in 2021, is highly unlikely to accept any offer from United. A source close to the Frenchman insists that no matter what deal is on the table, he has never had any desire to manage in the Premier League.
It is understood that United will not be able to change Zidane’s mind.
Can Rangnick be trusted?
Most people will be quick to point to Rangnick’s terrible record as United manager and use that as a reason not to trust the German, although if he’s willing to give advice to club representatives they should by all means listen.
They should be talking to more than just Rangnick to hear what other leaders of the game think.
I still hope United stand by Ten Hag because he earned enough credit in his first season to be backed at the end of the season. We can’t keep chopping and changing manager every 18 months.
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