Ralph Rangnik expected to be officially confirmed as Manchester Uniteda new interim manager in the coming hours, and as the so-called godfather of gegenpressing, he will hope to bring that style of football to Old Trafford.
The German coach agreed to join Red Devils until the end of the 2021/22 season, after which he will remain with the club as a consultant for at least two years.
Combined fans hoped for similar Mauricio Pochettino, Brendan Rogers or Zinedine Zidane take over the leadership of the club, but they should not be disappointed with Rangnikpurpose and here’s why.
Liverpool press
The term “gegenpressing” was coined back in the 1990s and refers to an intense style of football in which the team presses high when not in possession of the ball in order to win back the ball as soon as they lose it.
The word literally means “counter press” in German, and one manager known for using the word is German. Jürgen Klopp…
Klopp transformed Liverpool from the top four teams to one of the best in world football, with his offensive playstyle and strong defensive line that instills fear in everyone they come across.
He dedicated his front line to running and closing off enemy defenses in order to effectively counter a counterattack.
Rangnick: the hero of Klopp
Although Kloppwith Liverpool were very successful with the counterpress technique, the German manager initially learned this from Rangnik…
Over the years of experience in managing German teams, including the likes of Schalke, Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, Rangnik was able to improve his tactics of gegenpressing.
But his obsession with technique began back in the days of his game, when he faced Dynamo Kiev, which did not give him a second of possession.
“A few minutes later, when the ball left for a throw, I had to stop and count the opponents”, Rangnik said.
“It was the first time I felt what it was like to face a team that systematically hit the ball.
“I used to play against big professional teams – and, of course, we lost those games too – but at least they gave you a little respite, a chance to ‘get your feet’, as we used to say. “