Ralf Rangnick’s arrival at Manchester United hasn’t quite had the impact that was anticipated. Though results haven’t been calamitous, and ultimately it’s a results business, the performances have hardly been awe-inspiring. Rangnick is a well respected figure in the football world and is known to be the founder of the “Heavy Metal football” Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp deploy.
But for whatever reason, the German hasn’t quite been able to implement his philosophy. The team is often getting outplayed by opponents and relies on De Gea to see out games. But how have previous permanent managers started their Manchester United tenure? We are comparing the first five games of the Premier League to find how Rangnick’s start compares with his predecessors. And yes, we are looking at the post-Fergie era.
Manchester United managers since Fergie departed
David Moyes
Wins: 2
Draws: 1
Losses: 2
Goals Scored: 7
Goals Conceded: 6
Points: 7
Opponents (in order): Swansea City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Manchester City
The first Manchester United manager after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement was David Moyes. His first game, a 4-1 rout of Swansea, suggested not much has changed for Man United. However, games against the season’s eventual top three provided a glimpse of what was to come. Moyes lost 4-1 to Man City in his first Manchester derby, and United’s campaign derailed from thereon. The gap between the elite and United widened and Moyes couldn’t even last the season. He was replaced by Ryan Giggs for the final few games. The Red Devils finished seventh, their lowest ever in the Premier League.
Louis Van Gaal
Wins: 1
Draws: 2
Losses: 2
Goals Scored: 9
Goals Conceded: 8
Points: 5
Opponents (in order): Swansea City, Sunderland, Burnley, QPR, Leicester City
King Louis has the worst overall statistics in this list. There was a lot of hype surrounding his arrival, but his United career began with a shock 2-1 loss at home to Swansea. The only win came against QPR, who finished the season bottom. The fifth game was that famous 5-3 loss to Leicester. United did recover from this horrific start to finish fourth, securing Champions League football in the process.
However, Van Gaal was sacked at the end of the following season, despite winning the FA Cup. Failure to qualify for Champions League coupled with uninspiring performances led to his sacking.
Jose Mourinho
Wins: 3
Draws: 0
Losses: 2
Goals Scored: 8
Goals Conceded: 6
Points: 9
Opponents (in order): Bournemouth, Southampton, Hull City, Manchester City, Watford
Jose Mourinho had a bigger reputation than Van Gaal and also had Premier League pedigree when he came. Along with him, he brought Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, the latter being then Premier League record signing. He began with three wins but lost his first Manchester derby against Pep Guardiola. After five league games, United already found themselves in seventh and didn’t really recover.
They finished sixth but won the League Cup and Europa League, the last silverware the club has won till date. The following season, United finished second and reached the FA Cup final. Mourinho was sacked midway through the 2018/19 season after a disastrous start on and off the pitch.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Wins: 5
Draws: 0
Losses: 0
Goals Scored: 15
Goals Conceded: 3
Points: 15
Opponents (in order): Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town, Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Spurs
It’s hard to believe Ole has the best record by far in this list. He came in and quickly extinguished the fire lit by Mourinho, and it worked a treat, although it has to be said that he had a kind set of fixtures to begin with. Unlike other managers, being a former player, Ole was believed to know ‘the United way’ and could bring back the glory days. Ole rode on that nostalgia factor for two seasons but his lack of tactical acumen was exposed brutally this season. That ultimately led to his doleful departure and paved way for Rangnick’s arrival.
Ralf Rangnick
Wins: 3
Draws: 1
Losses: 1
Goals Scored: 6
Goals Conceded: 3
Points: 10
Opponents (in order): Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Newcastle United, Burnley, Wolves
Like Ole, Rangnick also arrives mid-season and has a favourable run of games. But he hasn’t had the impact like Ole. Even though he has three wins, and the second best record in this list, the performances have left a lot to be desired. The likes of Newcastle and Norwich battered United and deserved more than the one point they collectively took. The Wolves game was particularly disappointing as the visitors outplayed United and snatched a late winner. That was Rangnick’s first defeat in charge and after beating Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Monday, faces the same opposition this week in the Premier League.
So as you can see, Rangnick’s record isn’t all that bad. However, United have scored just six goals in his five games and have relied on their goalkeeper to get the job done. Top four is a must for the team and there are a lot of competitors fighting for it. If United don’t improve, they could miss out easily.