So would Rangnick, a sporting director with a proven track record, be interested in an approach from Old Trafford? “I am happy where I am but if any club wanted to speak to me, the question would have to be: ‘Can I be somebody who can influence areas of development across the whole club?’ Otherwise you are only getting half of what I am capable of. If, after that, you can work together in a trustworthy and respectful way, then you are more likely to be successful.”
Rangnick understands the reluctance of some clubs to change a traditional set-up. “It’s always difficult to follow someone like Sir Alex Ferguson, who was so successful and in place for a long time – and that’s even harder if you are often changing coaches,” he says. “With every coaching change, the identity changes and this is reflected in the sporting development. You can look at the money that team has had available in the last five years and say there has been an underperformance.”
It is no coincidence, he adds, that
the two teams currently dominating the Premier League have a clear playing style. “They have their identity and know what they need to develop, and so it’s no coincidence that they are dominating the league.”