UNITED IN GOOD

Ralph on his former boss Ralf: He will leave no stone unturned and even in six months will have a big impact at Manchester United

BY

RALPH HASENHUTTL says his mentor Ralf Rangnick is fulfilling a dream by finally following his proteges to the Premier League.

The 63-year-old will only take over as interim at Manchester United once his work permit is in place and he has been portrayed as one of the most pragmatic figures in European football since his imminent appointment was first announced last week.

But Hasenhuttl’s poignant text of congratulations reveals Rangnick always has had a more fanciful side.

“I have not spoken to him,” Hasenhuttl admitted. “Only a message to congratulate him on his big dream of coming to the Premier League. Now it has become real and it is fantastic for him. He’s been waiting for this moment.”

Rangnick was first linked with a move to the Premier

League as early as 2018 as a successor at

Arsenal to Arsene

Wenger. However, his teachings began to filter through to

England long before he finally made the move here.

Former Huddersfield manager David Wagner was his under-19 coach at Hoffenheim while

Jurgen Klopp was a longterm admirer as an upand-coming rival.

Chelsea manager

Thomas Tuchel played for

Rangnick briefly at Ulm in the German third division, way back in 1997 before the latter brought

Tuchel into coaching in the Stuttgart youth set-up after injury ended his career. But few have worked as closely with Rangnick’s methods as the Southampton manager, who was hand-picked to carry out first teamduties under the watchful eye of the RB Leipzig sporting director between 2016 and 2018. Rangnick himself had led the club from the fourth tier of German football to the Bundesliga before appointing Austrian Hasenhuttl to take the reins.

The pair were an instant hit – remaining unbeaten in the top flight for 13 matches – a record for a new Bundesliga club. Eight of those games were back-to-back wins – another record for a newly-promoted side. In the end, only Bayern Munich could finish above them as the pair claimed Leipzig’s first ever Champions League spot.

A year later Hasenhuttl left after the club refused to give him the longterm assurances he wanted, but the pair remained friends. “I know him

very well,” Hasenhuttl said. “We had two very successful years. He was Sporting Director so I know how he is and how he works.

“He’s a hard worker and he needs a good team around him. He will turn every stone around there for sure because he doesn’t want any weakness in any part of his club. Six months is not too long to turn things around but he will have a big impact.”

The “godfather of the gegenpress” will demand every blade of grass is covered in line with a hard-running brand that seems to hold little truck with luxuries such as Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hasenhuttl is confident that United’s choice is an inspired one. “Is he a good addition for the league? Absolutely,” said Hasenhuttl. “In this league it is known that the best managers are working here, that the Premier League has the big teams.

“They should always look for the best possible options, and at the moment, he is one of these.”