Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has confirmed two new additions to his staff at Manchester United.
The new recruits, sports psychologist Sascha Lense and former Major League Soccer manager Chris Armas, have both worked with Rangnick in the past.
It only makes sense for him to bring in people he knows and trusts – just like David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all did.
Rangnick, of course, has to work with a lot of Solskjaer’s staff because it is likely that whoever gets the manager’s position this summer will want to bring their own staff in. He credited them for their help in the win over Crystal Palace.
“It won’t be that many, so far I’m very happy to work with the staff I have met in the last week,” Rangnick told reporters, as per the Manchester Evening News. “They gave me a lot of help in the last couple of days in preparation for the Crystal Palace game.
“We have decided to bring in a sports psychologist, with Sascha Lense. He’s from Germany, a former second division player. I used to work with him for three years at Leipzig, one year in the year that we won promotion from the second to the first division, with myself, and the following two years when Ralph Hasenhuttl was head coach.
“So we know each other since then. He will be introduced to the team as soon as he has got his visa and work permit. I hope we will have him on board tomorrow or at the latest Thursday.
“Chris Armas used to be the assistant coach at New York Red Bulls under Jesse Marsch, that was five years ago when I first met him. Since then, we have met quite frequently.
“Also in my role as head of global for Red Bull, in the last three years he was the head coach for the New York Red Bulls and Toronto in the MLS. He will again hopefully join our team in the next two days.”
According to The Athletic, Lense visited Carrington today and was introduced to the players, but he will not start working until his visa process is finalised.
These are the people who will help influence the coaches to implement Rangnick’s methods, though the players deserve massive credit for how they played in his first match versus Palace.
Rangnick was surprised the club didn’t already have a sports scientist.
“Actually I don’t know the situation in other clubs. In Germany most clubs has a sports scientist. For me it is absolutely logical.
“For me it is only a question of logic. Should have an expert for the brain. Not to put them on the red sofa and holding hands with the players, but for helping the players that the brain should assist the body. Everybody in our team should think in the right way.”
Armas, who was sacked by Toronto FC in July, will be the new assistant coach and Lense will join the backroom staff as sports psychologist.
