The boss's work to date has always been in other countries with no Christmas and new-year fixtures, but he revealed he has always actively followed the festive programme in England.
During his exclusive interview with club media's Mark Sullivan, Ralf reflected on watching Christmas games from afar, discussed the latest on his players and staff and he also had a special message for the fans...
Training has obviously been disrupted over the last week or so, so what are the plans for the next few days, leading up to that Newcastle game?
“As you probably know we had to close Carrington for four days – Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.