A coach that merits the talent

While most Manchester United fans would have been well within their rights to feel sadness at the departure of club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from the dugout, there must have been a tinge of optimism.

The Norwegian knew Manchester United's expectations for the season were at an all-time high after a very successful transfer window. Their subsequent struggles were attributed to the coach. It was also apparent that he could not win a battle of minds against the likes of Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel or Jurgen Klopp.

Manchester United, after their dithering perhaps cost them Antonio Conte, acted quickly and somehow appear to have failed upwards, landing on 'the godfather of German football' as most everyone has labeled him, Ralph Rangnick.

There is little to base any speculation about the manager, given that he has only completed two seasons as a coach since 2011, but his tactics being at the forefront of modern coaching provide some indication of his ability.

The 63-year-old also has a knack for identifying and quickly developing talent, famously signing a then 20-year-old Sadio Mane for 450,000 from Metz in 2012 before molding him into a world-beater. But above all, it is his ability to organise a team and imprint a clear idea of how to play that were the major factors. As Thomas Tuchel showed at Chelsea last season by winning the Champions League, organisation and knowing what to do with and without the ball is imperative.

What that may look like, given his time at Leipzig, is a quick press. He remarked once that he had checked some recent statistics and found that 60 per cent of their goals had come within 10 seconds of winning the ball.

In order to accomplish that, Ragnick relied on young, hungry players that could win the ball and flood beyond the opposition backline. Timo Werner, now at Chelsea, often played that role, but it is also a mold that fits perfectly onto the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood.

With the need for such a dynamic front three, the question becomes what to do with Cristiano Ronaldo, whose unwillingness to press has caused many to question if he is the right man to be at the forefront.

Those not convinced by CR7s consistent goals can find relief in the knowledge that Ragnick's system of positionally marking zones on the pitch instead of following around players will cause the Portuguese's instincts and anticipation to come into play more than a form of more direct pressing would. He will also be backed up by one of the more willing pressers in the team, Bruno Fernandes.

In midfield, Fred again underlined his pressing credentials by winning the ball back quickly for both of Manchester United's goals in their Champions League win against Villarreal, but others have not quite been up to the task and reinforcements in that department must be a priority.

There are similar problems in a leaky defense, where Harry Maguire and his compatriots have been guilty of individual mistakes. But one could argue that lack of a coherent identity -- no patterns of play out of defense or any kind of plan B when caught in a trap -- also led to them playing as individuals, which left more room for mistakes.

If Manchester United fans were already convinced that the individuals in their team were good enough to compete for the Premier League or Champions League, they now have a manager who is capable of backing those claims.