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    Seven players Man Utd failed to sign, including Ronaldinho and Hazard, and who they bought instead like Bebe and Kagawa

    THE lure of playing at the Theatre of Dreams wasn’t enough to convince these talents their future belonged at Old Trafford.Over the years, Manchester United have missed out on a number of transfer targets during the transfer window.
    England legend Alan Shearer was one of the many stars Man Utd failed to sign over the yearsCredit: Allsport
    It’s meant they have had to change plans and move for someone else.
    But who did the Red Devils fail to sign? And, more importantly, who did they buy instead?
    RONALDINHO/CRISTIANO RONALDO
    After the 2002 World Cup, Ronaldinho was one of the world’s hottest properties.
    Starring at PSG, where United had tracked him, the club were in talks with the great Brazilian.
    But in 2003, he snubbed Sir Alex Ferguson for Barcelona, where he would win the Ballon d’Or.
    Instead, the Premier League giants invested in youth – bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo that same summer. We all know how that turned out.
    Ronaldinho decided to join Barcelona instead of Man UtdCredit: Corbis – Getty
    The same year United bought a teenage Cristiano RonaldoCredit: PA:Press Association
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    GABRIEL BATISTUTA/RUUD VAN NISTELROOY
    In 2000, Argentina legend Batistuta talked up a move to Manchester United by declaring if he ever left Fiorentina, he would opt for United.
    However, when it was time to put his money where his mouth was he went to Roma instead.
    Fergie decided on Ruud Van Nistelrooy instead, but was forced to wait a season after he wrecked his knee before the transfer.
    The Dutch striker became a club legend, scoring 150 goals in 219 games.
    Gabriel Batistuta teased a move to Man Utd before opting for Roma insteadCredit: Allsport
    United waited a season before signing Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who became a legendCredit: PA:Press Association
    ALAN SHEARER/SHERINGHAM & SOLSKJAER
    Shearer to Man Utd was mooted for years, before he signed for Blackburn and became a Premier League star.
    At Euro 96, he solidified his reputation as one of the best forwards in the world, so naturally the best club in the land wanted him.
    However, the summer he won the Golden Boot at the championships he turned down United again for a move to boyhood club Newcastle.
    Fergie brought in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham for a fraction of the £15million outlay the Geordies paid for Shearer.
    The pair would combine in 1999 to win the Champions League with a goal apiece to famously defeat Bayern Munich in dramatic fashion.
    Alan Shearer snubbed United and signed for Newcastle instead in 1996Credit: Allsport
    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, third from left, was one of Fergie’s signings that summerCredit: PA:Press Association
    Teddy Sheringham would later join the club before deadline dayCredit: Reuters
    RAUL/BEBE
    Perhaps past his best at 33, Real Madrid legend Raul was offered to United in a stunning deal.
    It was green lit until Fergie had a change of mind and decided to pull the plug on the transfer.
    The ex-Spain star went Schalke, where he scored 40 goals across two seasons.
    United signed Bebe for £7m instead. The Brazilian appeared seven times in three seasons, was clearly well out of his depth, and left the club for Benfica in 2014 at a loss.
    Sir Alex Ferguson pulled the plug on a deal for Spain legend Raul, who later joined SchalkeCredit: Reuters
    Brazilian Bebe was signed instead of Raul for £7m but became a massive flopCredit: Action Images
    EDEN HAZARD/SHINJI KAGAWA
    Come 2012, and it was Lille’s sensation Eden Hazard who was attracting bidders.
    United were priced out the market, with the Belgium playmaker signing for Chelsea in a massive £34m deal.
    Sir Alex, who had also failed to land Samir Nasri for the same reason, slammed agents demanding too much money.
    United spent £12m on Shinji Kagawa, who spent two unhappy years in Manchester before returning to Borussia Dortmund for a fee reported as low as £6m.
    Man Utd were priced out of a move for Eden HazardCredit: Action Images – Reuters
    In came Shinji Kagawa instead, who had two unhappy years at Old Trafford before leaving in 2014Credit: Getty – Contributor
    TONI KROOS/MAROUANE FELLAINI
    David Moyes thought he had landed a marquee signing in Toni Kroos in 2013.
    The German then decided against moving to the Premier League at the last minute and opted to stay with Bayern Munich.
    “Toni Kroos had agreed to come to Manchester United with me,” Moyes told talkSPORT in 2018.
    “I met him and his wife and we agreed it all when he was at Bayern Munich.”
    Unsuccessful attempts to bring Cesc Fabregas and Sami Khedira then followed.
    When it came to desperate stakes, Marouane Fellaini was signed for £28m.
    Six years later, he ended up at Chinese club Shandong Luneng in a £6m deal, after flopping at Old Trafford and never really convincing the fans.
    Toni Kross turned United down at the last minute in 2013Credit: PA:Empics Sport
    David Moyes turned to Marouane Fellaini in a £28m dealCredit: Getty – Minimum Fee
    DAYOT UPAMECANO/REGAN POOLE
    French star Upamecano is one of the world’s best modern day defenders, and is starring for Bayern Munich.
    But United had the opportunity to bring the centre back to our shores in 2015, when he was just 16.
    A bid of £1.6m to club Valenciennes was accepted but negotiations broke down between United and the player’s agent.
    “An intermediary met with us, but there was a difference between the project she presented us and what was actually going to happen,” his ex-advisor Thierry Martinez said.
    “A flat was promised, but that changed to a host family with only six return trips for his parents. When you uproot a player at such a young age, that isn’t enough. I wanted Dayot to have a stable emotional balance off the pitch.”
    United landed 17-year-old Newport County prospect Regan Poole after pulling out of a deal.
    One Europa League appearance later, he was shipped to Lincoln City, where he plays today.
    Dayot Upamecano has blossomed into one of the best defenders in world footballCredit: Getty – Contributor
    After United failed to land Upamecano at 17, they signed Newport County youngster Reegan Poole who made just one appearance for the clubCredit: Getty – Contributor
    Neil Custis says that Manchester United should look to appoint Brendan Rodgers as manager More

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    Man Utd manager target Zinedine Zidane is ‘learning English’, claims former team-mate and Arsenal legend Petit

    ZINEDINE ZIDANE is learning English amid reports linking him with the Manchester United manager’s job.That is according to his former team-mate and Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit.
    Zinedine Zidane is taking English lessons with a possible move to Manchester United on the cardsCredit: PA
    Zidane, 49, remains one of the favourites to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the Old Trafford hot seat.
    And ex-France international Petit reckons he is having lessons in the language – it is unconfirmed if ‘pass to Cristiano’ was the first phrase he picked up.
    But the Highbury hero does not necessarily think that means he will be taking over the Red Devils.
    He told booksmakers.co.uk: “If you are a manager of a football club you need to speak different languages.
    “I know Zinedine speaks different languages but I’m pretty sure English is not one of them.
    “There are so many examples of wrong decisions in football – not necessarily the wrong decision about someone’s ability, but about the dressing room being a right fit given all the different nationalities.
    “Communication is very important, so if you do not speak the language when you arrive at a club like Manchester United, that could be a big problem.

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    “I’ve been told that he has been learning English recently, so I think he knows it’s important for his career, but Zinedine being linked with Manchester United – I don’t believe it, to be honest.
    “Of course, he’s a big name but he never played in the Premier League and has very little connection with it, so as I said, I don’t believe it.”
    Brendan Rodgers remains United’s No1 target if they do decide to sack Solskajer, who refuses to walk away.
    Ajax chief Erik ten Hag is also in contention.
    But although Zidane is high on the United wish list and could be tempted by the gig, it is thought his wife Veronique would put the brakes on a deal because she does not want to live in Manchester but instead extend their sabbatical.
    Zizou has also been linked with the Paris Saint-Germain job – which could see Mauricio Pochettino finally head to Old Trafford in the managerial merry-go-round.
    However, that is unlikely to be until next summer.
    And that could be just months before the France post becomes available with Didier Deschamps potentially stepping down after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
    And Petit reckons the chance to lead his country would certainly be appealing for Zidane.
    ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
    Petit, who scored the third after Zidane’s double in the 1998 World Cup final, added: “That’s probably in his mind.
    “I’m pretty sure after the 2022 World Cup Deschamps will leave the national team and join a club, he hinted at it in a press conference the other day.
    “Zinedine has been mentioned as the next France manager for years, ever since he left Madrid the first time, so it would not be a surprise for anyone if that was his next job.”
    Zidane and Emmanuel Petit were team-mates for France, winning the 1998 World CupCredit: EPA
    How Man Utd could line-up under Zinedine Zidane More

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    Man Utd’s Class of 92 kids, from Neville’s son at Inter Miami to Scholes’ netball-mad daughter and Beckham’s clan

    MEET the kids of Manchester United’s Class of 92, who are branching out for themselves.The offspring of the likes of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Phil Neville and more are making their own waves in life.
    The Class of 92 before they starred for Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
    Diving into the worlds of modelling, music, football and even netball, these fearless children refuse to rest in the shadows of their famous fathers.
    Forget the Red Devils, here’s what their Little Devils are doing instead.
    PHIL NEVILLE
    HARVEY, 19
    Like his dad, Harvey plays full-back and can operate in midfield.
    He played his youth football with Manchester United, Manchester City and Valencia, before moving to Miami when his dad Phil scored the Inter Miami job.
    After impressing for parent club Fort Lauderdale, Harvey has been promoted to Inter’s first team for next season.
    The emphasis next season, after missing out on the playoffs, will be on youth.
    Harvey Neville in action for Fort LauderdaleCredit: Getty
    Dad Phil Neville has promoted son Harvey to the Inter Miami first team squadCredit: Getty
    DAVID BECKHAM
    CRUZ, 16
    The youngest boy of the Beckham clan, Cruz seems to have inherited mum Victoria’s genes for singing.
    Tipped to be the next Justin Bieber, his proud mother often shares clips of him performing on social media.
    Famously, he has already had one hit single – If Every Day Was Christmas, which peaked at No7 in 2016.
    Recently, he teased fans by releasing a clip recording in the studio.
    Cruz Beckham is a wannabe pop star tipped to be the next Justin BieberCredit: instagram.com/victoriabeckham
    Cruz recently teased fans by releasing a clip recording new music in a studioCredit: instagram
    ROMEO, 19
    Following Harvey into the Inter Miami first team could be David Beckham’s son, Romeo.
    He trained for a season at Arsenal’s academy, until he was released a season later.
    After momentarily quitting football for tennis, for which he trained with Andy Murray, Romeo returned to football in 2020.
    Currently, the forward is playing for Fort Lauderdale, who he has played six times for without scoring.
    Romeo Beckham is making his name for himself at Fort Lauderdale
    Andy Murray trained Romeo when he considered getting into tennisCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    BROOKLYN, 22
    The eldest of any child from the Class of 92, the weight of expectation on Brooklyn’s shoulders was massive being the first son of Becks.
    But, he shunned sport after initially dabbling with football and appeared on the front covers of fashion magazines, including L’Uomo Vogue and  T:The New York Times Style Magazine.
    However, its in fashion photography Brooklyn has grown – shooting campaigns for Burberry and releasing his first book, What I See.
    In 2020, he also announced his engagement to Hollywood actress Nicola Peltz. While most recently, he signed a reported £1million deal to become the face of Superdry.
    Brooklyn Beckham is making waves in the fashion worldCredit: Getty
    As a photographer, Brooklyn has been asked to do campaigns for Burberry and shot his own bookCredit: Instagram
    Brooklyn got engaged to American actress Nicola PeltzCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    ROBBIE SAVAGE
    CHARLIE, 18
    Although dad Robbie didn’t have much of a career at United, there is a genuine feeling Charlie Savage might.
    Like his father, he’s a central midfield player – but that’s where the similarities end.
    Rather than being a ball-winner, he’s technically a better player.
    This season, Charlie has appeared seven times for the U23’s, and is a Wales U19 international.
    Charlie Savage is embarking on a football career and is on Man Utd’s booksCredit: Getty
    Dad Robbie Savage never played a first team game at Old Trafford
    PAUL SCHOLES
    ALICIA, 20
    The glam daughter of ex-Man Utd playmaker Scholes, Alicia has forged a career for herself in netball.
    She recently signed for London Pulse, after stepping down from Manchester Thunder.
    Alicia has also featured for England’s U21 team – sharing the same competitive sporting spirit as her dad.
    Last month, a video of Scholes biting on her toenails went viral and shocked fans.
    The daughter of Paul Scholes is a netball starCredit: taken from instagram/alicia scholes
    Alicia with her proud mum, Claire Froggatt and dad ScholesCredit: Instagram / @paulscholesaaa
    ARRON, 21
    Paul’s oldest child, Arron famously had a brush with the law in 2019.
    He was found guilty of punching a former school pal outside a pub in Oldham.
    However, he was spared time in jail and forced to pay a fine of £150 to the injured party.
    Arron is a footballer too, and plays for ninth-tier Chadderton FC in the North West Counties League.
    Arron, far right, had a brush with the law in 2019Credit: Getty

    RYAN GIGGS
    ZACH, 15
    The youngest on our list, and perhaps with the toughest boots to fill, is aspiring footballer Zach, who is on Manchester United’s books.
    His dad Ryan played 963 times for the club – winning 13 Premier League titles, as well as the Champions League twice.
    Back in October, Zach made his bow for the U18’s in a Premier League Cup game against Wolves.
    However, he’s not a flying winger like his old man. This Giggs is a natural centre back and can play either full-back positions.
    Zach Giggs in action for Wales U16’sCredit: Sportsfile
    Zach, who is on Man Utd’s books, has a long way to go before emulating his famous father’s careerCredit: Reuters
    LIBERTY, 18
    Ryan’s glam daughter, 18, was born from his marriage to Stacey Cooke, who now dates The Wanted’s Max George.
    She is a typical teenager, who loves bowling with pals and fancy holidays in Ibiza.
    Giggs is very protective of his daughter, and once revealed he feared she had got a last-minute ticket to the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena in 2017, where 22 people were killed after a terrorist attack.
    Fashionable Libby shares her lifestyle on Instagram, where she has almost 5,000 followers.
    Liberty Giggs shares her glam lifestyle on Instagram to her thousands of followers
    Victoria Beckham shouts at David as he cuts off their son Cruz ‘singing like an angel’ More

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    Why Man Utd could be stuck with Solskjaer until the end of the season amid manager links to Zidane and Rodgers

    MANCHESTER UNITED could be stuck with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer until the end of the season – despite links with Brendan Rodgers and Zinedine Zidane. The two managers are the favourites to replace the Norwegian in the Old Trafford dugout.
    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be replaced in the Manchester United dugout by Brendan Rodgers next yearCredit: Getty
    Crushing defeats to Liverpool and City at home have left him clinging on to his post.
    But Solskjaer could be on course for a reprieve that would see him kept on until next summer.
    That is because, according to the Mirror, a new manager would want a full season to begin with, rather than coming in midway through the campaign.
    Although the January transfer window is just seven weeks away, the possible new manager would not be given time to properly work on the training ground with new tactics.
    And he would largely be stuck with the same, under-performing squad.
    Rodgers – the No1 target for United – still has high hopes of winning silverware with Leicester this season following his FA Cup and Community Shield successes in 2021.

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    The Foxes are into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and know qualification for the Europa League knockouts is in their hands.
    Zidane, meanwhile, is a free agent after leaving Real Madrid in May.
    But it is understood he too would prefer a pre-season to get to know his players.
    The report also links Mauricio Pochettino with the United job.
    He is in a similar position to Rodgers with Paris Saint-Germain, desperate to get the best out of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi to secure the Champions League for the French side.
    ASolskjaer is not set to be sacked imminently – although two of his former team-mates are calling for him to go.
    Rio Ferdinand said: “Now might be the time for that baton to be handed over to somebody else who can take us on.
    “Ole would leave now with his head held high. From when he came in to where he got us, at the beginning of this season, has been positive.
    “He has come in and done what he was brought in to do. He has given the fans hope again. 
    “But is he going to take us to titles and win the Champions League? I have to be honest with myself and I don’t think so, no.” 

    ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
    In his rant after United’s loss to City, Roy Keane added: “Manchester United are in a bad place but there is a way out of it. Is Ole the man to do it? Huge question marks.
    “Every time there is a bad result, Ole is the man to blame.
    “Ole can’t seem to win but he needs to look himself in the mirror and go ‘I need to do better here’. Ole, you might be better off out of it.”
    Zinedine Zidane would want a full pre-season to work with his new squad should he take the Old Trafford gigCredit: EPA
    Man Utd ‘working to persuade Zinedine Zidane to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’ with Brendan Rodgers also in contention More

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    Cristiano Ronaldo’s Man Utd return ‘will make or break Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’ says former Red Devils assistant McClaren

    MANCHESTER UNITED superstar Cristiano Ronaldo could be the factor that “makes or breaks” under-fire manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.That is according to former England manager Steve McClaren, who was Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant in 1999 when United won their historic treble.
    Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo can make or break Ole Gunnar SolskjaerCredit: Getty
    Steve McClaren believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to properly handle Cristiano RonaldoCredit: Pro Sports Images
    McClaren hailed Solskjaer’s summer transfer business and is especially impressed with the arrival of Raphael Varane as well as Ronaldo’s return as they are “serial winners”.
    But the ex-Newcastle boss warned the Norwegian head coach that he needs to find a way to properly handle the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as he is the main factor that will determine if he succeeds or fails.
    The Portugal international has been highly influential with nine goals in 13 matches across all competitions but that hasn’t been enough to help under-pressure Solskjaer, who has only won five out of 11 league matches.
    McClaren said on the McClaren Performance podcast: “I think what they’ve done in the summer by signing Ronaldo and Varane, to a certain extent, serial winners all their career. No one in that dressing room knows how to win. That’s important, the psychology of it.
    “I remember walking into that dressing room and every one of them at Manchester United, [Peter] Schmeichel all the way through to [Ryan] Giggs in that one to 11, even the likes of Phil Neville, [Nicky] Butt, Scholesy [Paul Scholes] those players on the fringes had won things so they knew how to win things.
    “He [Solskjaer]’s brought Ronaldo and Varane – Ronaldo especially – he knows how to win. What he’s got to do, he’s having from what I hear such an influence in that dressing room, he’s number one and they’re looking at him.
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    “If he doesn’t have a dessert for dinner, the rest of the players don’t have a dessert for dinner so he’s got the followers.
    “You see from his body language, you saw it from the game against Atalanta, he’s driving the team on, it’s reminding me a little bit like Roy Keane.
    “He was more vocal, direct, honest but I see that body language that I need more from these players, we’ve got to do more. Bringing in a person into the dressing room like that can make or break you. He can do the job, he can do it.
    “What you have to do is use him, he’s the solution but he’s also the problem, if you don’t handle him right then that can be a problem for the manager.
    “There’s various ways to do it, integrate Ronaldo into the team so that they play as a team. In the present moment they’re not playing as a team.
    “When you look at Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City you can see a team, an identity in the way they’re playing, Ole bringing Ronaldo in as the number nine is searching for that formula.”
    ⚽ Read our Man Utd live blog for the club’s very latest rumours, gossip and done deals
    Cristiano Ronaldo gives young pitch invader his shirt and hug after Man Utd ace misses hatful in Portugal’s Ireland draw More

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    Zlatan Ibrahimovic ‘hated’ Edinson Cavani and three others in his career, claims AC Milan star’s former team-mate

    ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC has only hated four players throughout his career – and one of them is Edinson Cavani.Former LA Galaxy star Michael Ciani has revealed Ibrahimovic did not like people getting close to the Uruguayan.
    Edinson Cavani joined PSG one year after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s arrivalCredit: EPA
    Ibrahimovic played alongside Cavani at Paris Saint-Germain from 2013 until 2016 before he joined Manchester United.
    The pair formed a formidable partnership on the pitch, but did not get along with each other on a personal level.
    Following his time with Ibrahimovic in America, Ciani has lifted the lid on the relationship between the pair.
    Speaking to RMC Sport, he said: “If you are close to Cavani, Ibra does not like it.
    “Either you are with Ibra, or you are against him.
    “He told me that everything was fine with Laurent Blanc at PSG.
    “The only person he did not get along with was Cavani.
    “He told me that he only hated three or four people in his career… and one of them was Cavani.”

    Cavani of course followed Ibrahimovic’s path to Old Trafford, and scored on his return to the team against Spurs last month.
    Despite only hating a handful of players, Ibrahimovic once threatened to kill whoever spoke to him after LA Galaxy lost.
    According to former team-mate Joao Pedro, he boasted about his wealth as he ripped into the players in the dressing room.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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    Meet Ralf Rangnick, the potential next Man Utd boss whose football tactics inspired Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel

    RALF Rangnick has become the front-runner to take over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.The beleaguered Norwegian boss was spotted at Manchester Airport on Monday boarding a private jet with his family for a short break ahead of the international break.
    Ralf Rangnick is reportedly being eyed by Manchester UnitedCredit: AFP
    Rangnick has been a big influence on the career of Jurgen KloppCredit: Rex
    And now Rangnick, 63, a true visionary of the game, has been linked with the Old Trafford hotseat, after the Red Devils were humbled at home by their noisy neighbours Manchester City.
    The German super-coach comes with a hefty reputation in his homeland.
    He is said to have inspired Premier League bosses Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsman with his tactics.
    Nicknamed ‘The Professor’, he was one of the pioneers of Gegenpressing, a style of play where teams immediately press the opposition after losing possession of the ball.
    His influence has been felt in the modern game, with many teams adopting his philosophy.
    STARTING YOUNG
    Incredibly, Rangnick began his coaching career when he was just 25 in 1983, following a mediocre semi-pro career.
    But his theories were against trend – with the national team adopting a rigid 3-5-2 system and man-marking.
    And to be fair, West Germany tasted success playing that way – winning the 1990 World Cup, after finishing runners-up four years earlier.
    But Ralf had his own ideas how the beautiful game should be played.
    In 1997, he scored his first job at lowly Ulm 1846, who would become fourth division champions with him at the helm.
    In 1998, Rangnick appeared on German TV to explain his football ideologyCredit: Getty
    A year later, he appeared on German TV donning a black suit and shirt revealing his footballing thesis.
    The German media nicknamed him the ‘German Professor’, probably unfairly and with derision.
    He was ridiculed for his geeky look and rimless glasses, while his methods weren’t embraced with teams favouring German legend Franz Beckenbauer’s sweeper approach.
    “The reaction from the media as well as others in football was extraordinary,” Rangnick told ESPN.
    “The main reason for this was that 30 years before, Franz Beckenbauer set the benchmark for most teams in our country when he created a libero-sweeper position for himself.
    “Franz himself even said in the mid-’90s that you cannot play with a zone-marking back four line because German players will not understand how to play it.
    “I asked myself, why should German players be any less intelligent than those in Belgium, Spain or the Netherlands? For me that was simply not logical.”
    GEGENPRESSING
    At the forefront of Rangnick’s belief was what later became coined as Gegenpressing, which itself was a spin off of iconic Ukrainian manager Valeriy Lobanovskyi’s pressing game.
    It’s a tactic that made Jurgen Klopp follow his lead with his own brand of ‘heavy-metal football’.
    Pioneer Rangnick has been credited for creating GegenpressingCredit: AFP
    The Liverpool boss also declared Rangnick as “one of the best, if not the best German coach”.
    Of Gegenpressing, Rangnick describes it as “very simple”.
    He continues: “[Gegenpressing is] a very proactive style of football, similar to the way in which Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool have been playing under Klopp.
    “We like to press high, with a very intense counter-pressure. When we have the ball, we do not like any square or back passes.
    “The goalkeeper also should not be the one with the most contact on the ball. In almost every league and every country, the goalkeeper is technically the most limited football player on the pitch and therefore we have to make sure that he has the lowest contact with the feet.
    “It is a fast, proactive, attacking, counter-attacking, counter-pressing, exciting and entertaining [style of] football.”
    SUCCESS
    From 2001-2004, Rangnick coached at Hannover, who he got promoted to the Bundesliga.
    Then, after missing out on an assistant manager role for the national team working under Joachim Low, he scored the Schalke job.
    It was a season of what could’ve been for Meister der Herzen, who finished runners-up in the Bundesliga to Bayern Munich.
    At Schalke Rangnick finished Bundesliga runners-up and lost a cup final to Bayern Munich
    Despite being championed for his footballing philosophy, major trophies have evaded him as bossCredit: Getty
    They also lost the German cup final to their rivals in 2005.
    But forever enjoying being the underdog, Rangnick took on the Hoffenheim post in 2006, once he was fired by Schalke after a string of disastrous results.
    It was where he, perhaps, achieved his greatest moment as a coach – taking a team from the third division to the Bundesliga with back-to-back promotions.
    He left the club in a healthy state in the German top flight, before returning to Schalke where he felt he had unfinished business.
    He won the German cup, led the club to the Champions League semi-finals, before exhaustion saw him resign in 2011.
    A NEW PROJECT
    Rangnick took a sabbatical from the dugout, but got involved in a new project – one that saw him oversee Red Bull teams, Leipzig, Salzburg and New York as a sporting director of the company.
    Under his leadership, the club – bankrolled by billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz – controversially went from division four to the Bundesliga in just six years.
    German fans didn’t like it, especially since it went against the 50+1 ownership business model. But Leipzig fans didn’t care.
    In his time with the unfashionable side, Leipzig became a top four team, as well as Champions League regulars.
    Rangnick did return to the dugout sporadically with the club, between 2015-16 and 2018-19, but he preferred his more advisory role.
    With his work done, he moved on again – with reports that AC Milan were desperate to have his influence on their football operations.
    Rangnick has been credited with leading the RB Leipzig revolutionCredit: AFP or licensors
    RB Leipzig were promoted from the fourth division to the Bundesliga in just six years under Rangnick’s leadershipCredit: Getty – Contributor
    After his miracle with RB Leipzig, could Rangnick (pictured with Timo Werner) be the answer to Man Utd’s prayersCredit: Getty – Contributor

    Surprisingly, Rangnick joined Russian Premier League side Lokomotiv Moscow as manager of sports and development in the summer on a three-year deal.
    Five points off leaders Zenit, it appears his influence is doing wonders for his new employers.
    Could Ralf’s Midas touch help restore Manchester United to their former glory?
    RB Leipzig director Ralf Rangnick runs on the pitch at half time against Bayern Munich, to dispute bad call using his phone More

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    How Man Utd could line up against Watford with Jadon Sancho at right WING-BACK as Solskjaer experiments with new role

    JADON SANCHO could be used as a WING-BACK when Manchester United take on Watford.The Red Devils return from the international break with a trip to Vicarage Road on November 20.
    This is how Manchester United could line up at Watford on November 20
    Jadon Sancho could be deployed in an unfamiliar wing-back role at Vicarage RoadCredit: AP
    And with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer desperate to get the best out of his stuttering squad, that could see a major shake-up for the £73million winger.
    Sancho, 21, has featured for just 342 minutes in the Premier League this season, starting three times.
    And the former Borussia Dortmund star is yet to register his first goal or assist.
    But reports suggest Solskjaer and his coaches have experimented with using Sancho in a wing-back role in training.
    Should they opt to bring him in, he would likely play as the right wing-back – in place of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
    The ex-Crystal Palace man is an excellent one-on-one defender but has come under fire in recent weeks for his positioning and he lacks attacking threat.
    On the other side, Luke Shaw will likely have recovered from his concussion suffered against Manchester City – especially after sitting out of England’s World Cup qualifiers.

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    With Raphael Varane still out injured, Solskjaer would likely stick with the back three of Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire in front of David De Gea.
    Fred and McTominay may well continue as the sitting midfield pairing – unless Donny van de Beek gets a shock United start.
    Bruno Fernandes would surely operate as the No10 – especially with Paul Pogba out, both suspended and injured.
    That leaves two to play up front with Mason Greenwood likely to be the man alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, with Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani also set to be unavailable through injury.
    United currently sit sixth in the Premier League and have lost three of their last four home matches, including being dismantled by rivals Liverpool and City.
    ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
    Schmeichel says Sancho will come good at Man Utd but must look at Ronaldo for inspiration More