Ralf Rangnick lines up Chris Armas for Manchester United coaching staff
Ralf Rangnick is expected to make his first coaching appointment as Manchester United interim manager, with Chris Armas set to join after the departure of Michael Carrick.
Armas, 49, was the New York Red Bulls head coach from 2018-20. In 2019 Rangnick became head of sport and development for Red Bull, the MLS franchise owner, having been football director at RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg, so he is familiar with the American’s work.
Carrick, United’s caretaker manager for three matches until Rangnick was recruited, had been first-team coach under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before the Norwegian was sacked last month.
Prior to joining New York Red Bulls as an assistant coach in 2015, Armas was assistant coach at Chicago Fire and then head coach of Adelphi Panthers women’s team. In his first two years at New York Red Bulls the franchise won the Supporters’ Shield for the best regular-season record but were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs. They finished sixth in the Eastern Conference the following season but were again knocked out in the first playoff round.
Armas, a former Puerto Rico and US international midfielder, took over at Toronto FC in January 2021 but was sacked in July after a 7-1 defeat by DC United.
Meanwhile Diogo Dalot believes United can do a “fantastic job” if everyone buys into the interim manager’s approach after securing victory over Crystal Palace in Rangnick’s first match in charge on Sunday. “It’s difficult to have an opinion in a few days,” the Portugal right-back said. “But I’m sure that, if everybody’s together, everybody’s into it, we’re going to do a fantastic job. We’re going to help him and he’s going to help us as well.
“There’s no secret that he’s a very good manager with very good ideas to play football. Hopefully we can help him to give us the best that he can give and vice versa.”