JURGEN IS RIGHT, RALF, BE LUCKY!

JURGEN KLOPP basically said about his friend Ralf Rangnick that – despite all the respect and admiration he has for him – he’ll need all the luck he can get coming into the Prem mid-season. And I get that.

The fixture list from now until the New Year is insane and, as Klopp (above) says, if you want to change something, there is simply no time or space to do it – on the training ground or in meeting rooms.

There is no time to coach at all, and that is a shame for a top man who can bring in new ideas.

There’s no time to breathe, which makes the English top flight such a tough place to manage.

I’d also say that there are some real pitfalls waiting for Rangnick when he does arrive.

If United’s Plan A is to wait for a manager like Mauricio Pochettino in the summer, then they REALLY don’t want to let someone else spend a shedload of cash now.

So you’ve got a manager who is coming in with a bunch of players who need sorting out – and I’ve already said that one of the biggest problems that needs sorting is the influence, or lack of influence, of Paul Pogba (below).

But Rangnick has zero time to work on that, zero time to change tactics, formations, style, philosophy.

And he can’t bring in players who know his style or system.

As Klopp says: Good luck with that, Ralf!

But if Rangnick IS actually allowed to buy in January, then it rather suggests the board are thinking he could well be a long-term option.

So if we see him identifying players and signing them... then maybe United are planning to give him a proper roll of the dice.