Ralf Rangnick's high-flying Austria are proving he was never the problem at Man Utd

When Manchester United appointed Ralf Rangnick as interim manager for the final six months of the 2021/22 campaign, it was with the intention of the revered 'club builder' steadying the ship and then staying as a consultant once a new permanent boss was chosen.

That never happened. Before the end of his time as United boss, Rangnick had already agreed a deal to become new Austria head coach and he made sure that would be his full focus after trying to initiate necessary change in Manchester but failing to be heard.

When he first arrived, a brief bounce period saw United lose just one of his first 13 Premier League games in charge. Yet the wheels soon fell off and the team finished the season with six defeats in their final 11 outings. Sixth place and a lowest final points tally since 1989/90.

During the run-in, Rangnick's team conceded four against Manchester City, four against Liverpool and three against Arsenal, as well as four against Brighton & Hove Albion in a particular low point. It took the league tally of goals against to 57 in 38 games, the club's worst in the Premier League era and worst overall in more than 40 years (until 2023/24). Their 12 league defeats also matched the club's record for most in the Premier League era (again, until 2023/24).

By April, Rangnick was increasingly vocal in public about changes that were needed if United were to succeed. Most famously, he declared that "open heart surgery" on the squad was required.

Fans appreciated his honesty. The players he believed weren't good enough did not.

Rangnick had to deal with several instances of unrest during his brief reign at Old Trafford. Although known for a particular footballing philosophy that underpinned his work in the Red Bull family, where he was first sporting director for both Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig and later head of sports and development for the entire global football operation, Rangnick had to abandon it in Manchester because he couldn't get through to players who disliked his methods and management.

An apparent refusal to listen to him led to the results falling off a cliff.

Although football director John Murtough was ready and willing to take advice and input, to the point where some players were mystified as to Rangnick's influence and recommendation of Erik ten Hag, the German can be forgiven for realising that he was ultimately wasting his time.

Since taking over Austria, he has found a setup that truly values him, a squad that listens to him, and essentially a blank canvas to demonstrate that he wasn't the problem at Old Trafford.

Rangnick marked his first game with Austria in June 2022 with a 3-0 win over Croatia, who would finish third at the World Cup a matter of months later. Less than two weeks earlier, United had concluded the Premier League season with a defeat at Crystal Palace.

Results did initially wane, but 2022 ended with a 2-0 victory over Italy in a friendly in Vienna and that started the ball rolling. By the time they arrived at Euro 2024, Austria had lost just once – a 3-2 defeat against Belgium – in 16 games spanning more than 18 months.

At this summer's tournament, Austria have played like a typical Rangnick team. It is high pressing, high intensity stuff, offering a sense of adventure and plenty of excitement. It should have been perfectly suited to Manchester United too, reminiscent of the brands of football delivered by Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, but for the resistance he encountered.

Austria were only narrowly beaten by France in their Euro 2024 opener but ended up topping the group ahead of the French because of relentless performances against Poland and the Netherlands that delivered three goals apiece and six points overall.

Now, thanks to the way the knockout bracket has worked out, Austria are in the easier half. They are favourites to see off Turkey in the last 16 and would then face either a Dutch side they have already beaten once or Romania for a place in the semi-finals. When a team has that kind of momentum, it becomes harder and harder to stop them – just ask Greece.

Rangnick was never going to be the long-term solution for Manchester United – at 65 now, age alone makes that obvious. But his achievements with Austria are current living proof of the kind of positive impact he is capable of having given the opportunity to do things his way, and without opposition.

A watered down version at Old Trafford couldn't work…but that wasn't anything to do with Rangnick.

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