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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has called new Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick “one of the top coaches” ahead of the Gunners’ trip to Old Trafford on Thursday.
Rangnick was announced on Monday as the man who will take charge of the Red Devils for the remainder of the season.
He will take over from Michael Carrick, who had stepped up temporarily after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer departed.
However, Rangnick is still waiting for a work visa and is set to miss the clash against Arsenal, with Carrick to carry on at the helm for a third game.
The 63-year-old has taken on a number of roles at football clubs in his career, including head coach and director of football, and will step into an advisory role at United when the season concludes.
Arteta spoke of his admiration for Rangnick, highlighting the “radical changes” the German has made at clubs such as RB Leipzig and, most recently, Lokomotiv Moscow.
“[Rangnick] has been one of the top coaches in every involvement he has had in the game, not only in coaching,” Arteta said.
“He’s made some radical changes in some areas and he’s a really interesting person in the footballing world, and a really interesting appointment for the club.”
Arteta also revealed that the uncertainty surrounding who would be in the dugout for United on Thursday had made preparing for the trip to Manchester difficult, pointing out the quality of the Red Devils’ squad.
“They are a team, a squad that is one of the most talented in the league,” Arteta continued.
“It is very difficult tactically because you don’t know how they are going to prepare the game, the options that they can play, the formation they can [use] so it’s focused more on ourselves, on what we have to do and make sure the team is prepared to go there and beat them.
“We try to gather information [on Rangnick] to understand more what to expect.
“We didn’t know if he was going to be sitting on the bench or if he was taking training sessions, so in terms of the preparations, it was a little bit trickier than usual because you don’t really know the influence that the new coach is going to have.”
