Just to get this back on track… I’m quite worried about Ralf as a manager. I was actually really enthusiastic when he came in, hoping he could spark a transformation in the club, not only on the pitch, but organizationally as well.
‘Here we are, 2 months later. We still don’t look great on the pitch, we failed to strengthen the squad in the window, and Ralf has really fecked up the Martial and the Lingard situations.
I can’t believe I’m saying this so soon, but… Ralf out.
Pretty much hold the opposite view to all of the above, but each to their own.
I fairly quickly started to lose patience with him when he seemed to be all talk, serving up dire football and picking the same old shitty line ups. I appreciate now looking back he just needed to stop us fecking conceding, and get some confidence back into the lads - even if it meant us looking boring.
Things that have made me more confident in him since then:
First and foremost the football is quickly starting to look way better, still only a two or three games worth, but it's going in the right direction. We should have battered Middlesborough the way we played but everything went against us on the night.
He realised quickly 4-2-2-2 wasn't going to work and changed it.
He wasn't afraid to admit he underestimated the English league and has reacted accordingly.
His handling of Ronaldo has been fairly impressive, particularly subbing him and his handling of the fallout.
He isn't taking any shit from the players. He isn't afraid to call them out publicly but unlike 90% of managers who attempt this approach is somehow managing to do so in quite a polite, even-handed way which can't be argued with, and is crucially showing the players up not himself.
He also hasn't been afraid to loan players out, Ole seemed terrified of doing this and it was his ultimate undoing as the dressing room turned mutinous.