The sudden Covid outbreaks at clubs threatens to derail the busy festive programme with fears of another shutdownMidnight on Monday is an unusual hour to announce a fixture postponement. Manchester United would not be playing Brentford on Tuesday, a Premier League statement with a timestamp of 23:53 said, because of “an ongoing Covid-19 outbreak within Manchester United’s squad”. If the news had to be released under the cover of darkness, it was tempting to wonder, how ongoing might the outbreak actually be?Clubs do not publish data on Covid cases within their squads and the Premier League doesn’t breakdown its division-wide stats, either. But earlier on Monday a record number of positives across the league had been confirmed, 42 in a...
The redraw of the Champions League last 16 was kind to the Premier League clubs and the quartet should progressBayern, as ever, have been dominant in the Bundesliga and they romped through the group stage winning six out of six, scoring 22 and conceding only three. Under Julian Nagelsmann they play with as high a line as they did under Hansi Flick, and Robert Lewandowski remains as prolific as ever. If there are doubts, they are only over two things: Bayern’s squad is not as deep as those of many of their rivals, making them susceptible to injuries, and top-class sides may be able to exploit that high line. Salzburg have in the past caused problems against other hard-pressing teams,...
The Ralf Rangnick era begins with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace but it would be wrong to read too much into the victoryNew managers get the benefit of the doubt. Even language breaks their way. A 1-0 win against Crystal Palace that might have been described as streaky under Ole Gunnar Solskjær becomes a hard-fought three points under Ralf Rangnick. While Solskjær showed “indecision” in delaying his substitutions, here Rangnick confidently “bided his time”. A fortnight ago, this was a performance that would have “papered over the cracks”. Now, it is a “platform to build on”.And so for all the temptation to read the early runes, to derive immutable learnings from these 90 minutes against limited opposition, it’s probably...
Interim manager reminded his audience he knows Erling Haaland well, but wants control before spending on playersControl, control, control: Ralf Rangnick’s mantra regarding what Manchester United are missing was also an apt characterisation of a 63-year-old who having just strode into a behemoth global football club oozed calm and clarity during his first media conference as their interim manager.The big poser, of course, is how long this will last should United struggle? But, for the moment, Rangnick illustrated why the club trust him. Arriving five minutes before the advertised 9am start, the German was dry-witted, smart, deferential and, most pertinently, displayed a forensic eye regarding his new side after their impersonation of a rabble over much of the last two...
The interim manager needs to take advantage of a favourable run of fixtures to secure a Champions League placeThe Amazon Prime access-all-areas documentary of Ralf Rangnick’s 24-match Premier League tenure as Manchester United interim manager might be entitled “Finish Fourth”. Or, alternatively “The Gamble”.Because, make no mistake: if the German, who watched this harum-scarum United victory over Arsenal on a picnic blanket to keep warm in the posh seats, has not lifted them into a Champions League place when match-day No 38 is over he will have failed. And, despite the billing of Rangnick and his career achievements, being parachuted in for a six-month Red Adair act is the latest dice-throw from United in the eight years and now six...