Jurgen Klopp has been reacting to the news that Ralf Rangnick is poised to take the managerial reins at Old Trafford, with the Liverpool boss saying: “Unfortunately a good coach is coming to Manchester United”.
With the Red Devils taking the decision to part with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s services, they are now looking for vast experience to help get them back on track on an interim basis.
Former RB Leipzig coach Rangnick is set to see the 2021-22 campaign out with the Premier League heavyweights, and Klopp is expecting his fellow German to stamp his authority on an underperforming side and get them moving in the right direction.
What has been said?
Quizzed on Rangnick’s imminent arrival in English football ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Southampton on Saturday, Klopp told reporters: “Unfortunately a good coach is coming to England and Man Utd.
"He built most famously two clubs from nowhere to proper threats and forces in Germany with Hoffenheim and Leipzig.
"He did a lot of different jobs in football but always his first concern was being a coach and a manager. That's what his best skill is, obviously.
"United will be organised on the pitch, we should realise that - that's obviously not good news for other teams!
"But all coaches in the world, we need time to train with our teams and Ralf will pretty quickly realise he has no time to train as they play all the time, so that makes it a bit tricky for him.
"Apart from that, a really good man and an outstanding coach, if it happens, will come to England."
Klopp added: "Between the coaches (in Germany) he is very highly regarded, and wherever he was he did an incredible job.
"He started early as a very, very young man at Stuttgart coaching the second team and going from there. I'm pretty sure he then went to Ulm and took them to the Bundesliga which was insane at that time.
"We faced each other for the first time when I was a very young coach and he was at Hannover, he might have forgotten that.
"They always played our opponent the week later, so he called me, the young manager at Mainz, and asked plenty of questions. I was happy that big Ralf Rangnick was calling me but he got all the information he needed.
"They got promoted, we didn't. So he owes me still something!
"In the football world in Germany, he is very, very well regarded, and rightly so."
The bigger picture
Liverpool helped to nudge Solskjaer a little closer to the exits back in October when they inflicted a humbling 5-0 defeat on United at Old Trafford.
Change was on the cards from that point, with a decision taken by the Red Devils on November 21 to move in a different direction.
Rangnick will be inheriting a squad that sits eighth in the Premier League table as things stand, with 12 points separating them from leaders Chelsea.
Liverpool are a little closer to the title tussle, as they sit three points off the pace, and will be interested observers when United take in a testing trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
