Ralf Rangnick ‘instructed’ Man Utd who to rent as supervisor earlier than Ruben Amorim sacking
Former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has been clear about one of the key candidates to replace Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford
Former Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has previously sung the praises of Oliver Glasner.
The Crystal Palace manager is amongst several candidates being linked with the United position after the club opted to dismiss Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese coach’s fate seemed sealed following his team’s stalemate with Leeds United over the weekend. Amorim had been vocal about his position at the club, with his exit confirmed on Monday.
During his post-match media briefing, Amorim ranted: “I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. And that is clear. I know that my name is not Tuchel, it’s not Conte, it’s not Mourinho, but I’m the manager of Manchester United. And it’s going to be like this for 18 months, or when the board decides to change.”
Manchester United have confirmed club legend Darren Fletcher will step in temporarily. Whilst the Scottish midfielder will be eager to make his mark during his stint in charge, Palace chief Glasner is understood to be amongst the leading contenders for the permanent United role.
The 51-year-old has made a remarkable impact since arriving at Palace in February 2024, guiding the Eagles to their maiden major silverware with FA Cup glory last season before adding the Community Shield in August. Although Glasner swiftly gained recognition in English football, former United manager Rangnick had already recognised the Austrian as an exceptional coach, reports the Mirror.
“For me, Oliver Glasner is currently one of the most exciting coaches – not only in Germany, but in all of Europe. An absolute top coach,” Ralf Rangnick gushed to LAOLA1 in March 2023.
Before taking the reins at Crystal Palace, Glasner had a triumphant run with Eintracht Frankfurt, clinching the Europa League title in 2022. Interestingly, it was Rangnick who kick-started Glasner’s coaching career during his stint as Red Bull Salzburg’s director of football, appointing him as Roger Schmidt’s right-hand man.
“He developed step by step to where he is now, also because he made the right decisions,” Rangnick elaborated. “From his perspective, it was right to go to Ried, from Ried to Linz, from Linz to Wolfsburg.
“When you see what’s happening with him and Markus Krosche at Eintracht Frankfurt, you can only take your hat off to him. This is a prime example of how a coach’s career should develop. It couldn’t have been written down better beforehand.”
Whether Glasner will make a move to Old Trafford next is still up in the air, especially with his contract at Palace set to expire at season’s end. Having weathered a challenging spell as interim United boss in the 2021/22 campaign, which led to him ditching plans to stay on in a consultancy role, Rangnick would surely have some pearls of wisdom for Glasner if he were to step into the hot seat at United.
Former United centre-back Rio Ferdinand is convinced the Crystal Palace boss won’t get the nod from the club, given his tactical preference mirrors Amorim’s three-at-the-back approach. Nevertheless, Glasner has shown how a 3-4-3 setup can flourish in England’s top flight and has previously drawn parallels between his squad and Amorim’s outfit.
“We’re playing the same system,” Glasner said earlier this season. “So it looks like it’s a good attacking system. Also, as we show it, you can have a good defensive structure with it. It’s all about what you do with the system and how fluid you are in attack and how creative you are.”
