RANGNICK FARCE
United manager’s arrival on hold due to Covid rules and red tape
MANCHESTER UNITED fear new boss Ralf Rangnick won’t be in the dugout for Thursday’s home clash with Arsenal, and are scrambling to have him in place against Crystal Palace three days later.
Rangnick’s appointment until the end of the season was confirmed yesterday but immediately there were concerns that he would be prevented from starting the job by work-permit red tape and new Covid restrictions.
Club staff were told at Carrington yesterday that Rangnick is unlikely to be in charge until the end of the week, while the 63-year-old German waits for his permit to be approved.
The problem has been worsened by stricter Covid rules for travellers arriving in the UK that came into force in the early hours of this morning.
United remain hopeful Rangnick will take over in time for Palace’s visit on Sunday and a club spokesman said last night: ‘We are working calmly and carefully to secure a visa for Ralf in line with all relevant regulations and protocols. These are processes which have to be followed and we are doing so as swiftly as possible.’
However, the situation is hardly ideal for a coach who only has half a season to make an impact as it is, and raises more
questions over United’s decision to wait until after the two-week international break to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Caretaker boss Michael Carrick will remain in charge until Rangnick’s arrival after overseeing a Champions League win over Villarreal and a draw at Premier League leaders Chelsea. Carrick denied that Rangnick had any input on his team selection or tactics at Stamford Bridge on Sunday — United insist technical director Darren Fletcher was speaking to video analysts, not the new manager, by phone from the dugout — and that is expected to be the case again if Rangnick is unavailable for Arsenal. United confirmed yesterday that Carrick and the rest of Solskjaer’s backroom team — assistant Mike Phelan, coach Kieran McKenna and goalkeeper coach Richard Hartis — will be staying at the club. Rangnick will be allowed to bring in a small number of coaching staff, with his trusted video analyst Lars Kornetka expected to follow him to Old Trafford from Lokomotiv Moscow. United expressed their gratitude to the Russian club after it emerged that they did not have to pay compensation to release Rangnick from the remaining two-and-a-half years of his contract as director of sports and development. The former Schalke, Hoffenheim and Leipzig coach has been offered a two-year consultancy role at United beyond the end of this season, although it is understood that he could land the manager’s job on a permanent basis if results go well. United insist Rangnick was always their No 1 candidate for the interim role due to his experience in management and coaching over four decades and that view was underlined during an interview process that saw him selected from a five-man shortlist. ‘I am excited to be joining Manchester United and focused on making this a successful season for the club,’ said Rangnick. ‘The squad is full of talent and has a great balance of youth and experience. All my efforts for the next six months will be on helping these players fulfil their potential, both individually and, most importantly, as a team. Beyond that I look forward to supporting the club’s longer-term goals on a consultancy basis.’ While Rangnick’s involvement against Arsenal and Crystal Palace remains in some doubt, United’s next game after that — at home to Young Boys in the Champions League on Wednesday — could be moved to a neutral venue abroad due to concerns over the new Omicron Covid variant. United are seeking guidance from UEFA to see if the Swiss club’s players will be granted an exemption from quarantining if they travel to the UK. Meanwhile, fans will pay tribute to Solskjaer at the Arsenal game by displaying the ‘Ole Legend’ banner in tribute to the former United favourite, who was manager for nearly three years until last week.