Ralf Rangnick: should he stay in the Manchester United hot seat next season or should he go? This is the question the club will grapple with if the interim manager secures a top-four finish, claims (or just misses out on) FA Cup glory and shows well in the Champions League; basically, if he performs as an impressive mid-season Mr Fixit who deserves a chance to have a No 1’s contract drawn up.
The German is open to the full-time job, so might United’s incoming CEO, Richard Arnold, be minded to keep him by mid-May? After the best part of two months and nine matches a picture is forming of Rangnick and his managerial smarts. Wednesday, at Brentford, was particularly instructive because, with United 2-0 up, the 63-year-old made Cristiano Ronaldo his fall guy and a 3-1 victory was the reward. It took the team to 35 points and maintained their status as back-runners hoping to overtake on the curve in the chase for a Champions League berth.
