RALF’S COACHING MANUAL JUST THE TONIC TO REVIVE UNITED
Jurgen Klopp is one of many admirers of ralf rangnick, described as the ‘godfather of gegenpressing’. After Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund lost 4-1
to rangnick’s Hoffenheim in September 2008, he said rangnick’s proactive style was precisely what he wanted from his players.
In the coming years, Klopp would use that philosophy as a blueprint for his success. If you’re after a pamphlet on how united plan to press under rangnick, watching liverpool isn’t a bad place to start. Their front three are ferocious in their desire to not let defenders have a moment’s peace in possession.
If a pass is played across the back line, united’s players may as well think of that as a starting pistol being fired. That’s their trigger to swarm opponents.
When Arsenal went to liverpool recently, they tried to play out from the back and that played into the hands of Klopp’s team. When Southampton went to liverpool a week later, ralph Hasenhuttl decided to bypass that press and told his defenders to hit long balls into the front players. In fact, 22.8 per cent of Southampton’s passes were long — their highest recorded in any league match this season. Hasenhuttl, another disciple of rangnick’s after their time at leipzig, knew Klopp’s front three are vultures and didn’t want to feed them.
rangnick would love liverpoollike intensity from his forwards at united. It was clear that they were already pressing better in their 3-2 win over Arsenal on Thursday, starting from front man Cristiano ronaldo.
UNITED AND CONQUER
If you’re engaging in this type of press, you need to be completely committed. But believe me, when it works, it’s worth it.
We used a similar system at Arsenal, holding a high line and condensing space so that we could be close to the opposition all over the pitch. It’s a powerful feeling when that collective energy takes hold of you. you look around and see your mates with that same desire to get the ball back.
It’s as much about emotion and togetherness as it is technical detail when it comes to pressing in tandem. Whatever formation rangnick uses, whether 4-2-2-2 or 5-3-2 or 4-3-3,
the message will remain: swarm around the ball and gain control of the game. There’s a clear instruction manual that comes with this manager. He has highlighted it in seminars and interviews.
Motivating United’s players into implementing his philosophy will be half the battle. In their last two games they made more tackles and interceptions than in any other match this season, and that will please the new manager.
WIN THE BALL BACK... THEN ATTACK
RangnIck loves the transition element to football — the moment you lose the ball you’ve got to win it back, and once you’ve got it, go on the attack. at Leipzig’s training ground, Rangnick installed a countdown clock that gave his players eight seconds to get the ball back. Once they’d won it, they had 10 seconds to shoot.
United have been one of the lower-ranking Premier League teams in terms of tackling, intercepting and winning possession. That needs to change.
When a United players loses the ball, he will need to go into pressing mode instantly. Players at Liverpool, chelsea and Southampton — all coached by men who credit Rangnick as an inspiration — are conditioned to do that.
ALERT TO BREAKAWAYS
anOTHeR rule of Rangnick’s is that his defence must be alert to counter-attacks. United’s players will be tasked with condensing the space. For that to happen, it’s imperative that the back line push up on the halfway line to help squeeze the opposition into submission. United’s defenders have got to get tight and swat their opponent as soon as the ball comes their way. Once they have, it’s back on the attack.
MORE ROCK AND ROLL!
RIgHT from kick-off, klopp and Hasenhuttl’s sides launch the ball long and high and wide.
I expect Rangnick to instruct his side to do the same. He does not want his players keeping hold of possession for the sake of it, or passing sideways. That’s what he calls ‘slow waltz’ football, whereas he prefers ‘rock and roll’ play.
Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane will be expected to spot opportunities to ping accurate passes directly into the wide players stationed high up the pitch, like Virgil van Dijk does for Liverpool. Maguire produced a few nice diagonals against arsenal on Thursday — a taster of what’s to come from him under Rangnick.
RESTARTS ARE A PRIORITY
RangnIck has said that more than 30 per cent of goals in games come from set-pieces, and so 30 per cent of training should be dedicated to practising them. That would be a hard sell to players who don’t tend to find those sessions the most enjoyable.
Still, United’s players can expect lessons in corners, free-kicks and even throw-ins. every restart is an opportunity to gain an advantage.