Ralf Rangnick has turned into the galactico whisperer this week, soothing some of the biggest stars, and some might say egos, in the Manchester United team with his words. One-on-one meetings have been held with Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and others.
For the German coach, famed for his tactical innovation and strategic intelligence on the pitch, it is a new challenge. Every boss has to deal with man-management, of course, but never have Rangnick’s skills in this department been tested quite like this.
The biggest club he had managed was Schalke in Germany and the two clubs where he was most successful, Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, were nonentities playing non-league football but thanks to his legacy they now sit fourth and seventh respectively in the Bundesliga.