Manchester United's next manager might, quite literally, be staring them in the face.
Because while the second half performance at Brentford and Marcus Rashford's last gasp winner against West Ham show the green shoots of a United recovery, Ralf Rangnick's job appears to be nowhere near complete. The German is standing at the foot of his own mountain at Old Trafford, with the club having seen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fallen trying to scale his own.
Put in simple terms, Rangnick has a lot more work to do at United and the door is open for him to stay on for an extra 12 months.
It's worth revisiting United's statement that confirmed Rangnick's arrival as interim manager, published on November 29th as the club finally found Solskjaer's successor.
John Murtough, United's football director, said in that announcement: “Ralf is one of the most respected coaches and innovators in European football. He was our number one candidate for interim manager, reflecting the invaluable leadership and technical skills he will bring from almost four decades of experience in management and coaching."
United, of course, announced that Rangnick would be the interim boss until the summer, before moving into a consultancy and advisory role for two years.
Yet Rangnick, speaking a few days later in his first official press conference, gave a surprising answer when asked what would happen if his interim period went successfully.
"The people who I have spoken with, so far, have been very clear that we are talking about a six-month role as manager currently, we have never spoken about anything after that in the summer," he said.
"I am, of course, fully aware they are looking for a new manager, maybe if they ask me, we will see. Maybe, if they ask me my opinion as you said and everything goes well and I help develop the team, I might make the same recommendation as I did at Leipzig twice and say to them for me to stay on and continue working with me!"
The managerial rumour mill has already begun around United, given the lack of genuine January transfer links right now, and there are some appealing names on the shortlist. Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag are the current frontrunners, and for good reason considering what they've achieved in recent years. Both would be good fits, for sure.
But United's players are only just getting used to Rangnick's methods. They didn't react well to Solskjaer's sacking, their noses were initially put out of joint by the strict and technical German, whose preference for pressing and front-foot football takes time to bed in.
If you consider Rangnick's genuine prowess in the transfer market — which he hasn't been able to wield this month due to the standard January problems — then he should be allowed a full summer and pre-season as United boss, to work his tactical and transfer magic.
It's unlikely the squad will be in shape to compete for next season's league title and Champions League by then, so why not allow Rangnick to put in another year of groundwork, to lay the foundations for Pochettino or Ten Hag?
United fans are starting to like Rangnick and it's clear he's now endearing himself to the players, too, after an initial rocky spell.
Another year of the German's hardnosed, demanding and decisive management wouldn't go amiss at Old Trafford.
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