How Arsenal and Arteta are planning for Man Utd’s new-manager bounce
Robin Bairner
- 1 Dec 2021 05:36 CST
- 4 min read
New Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will not be in the dugout for Thursday’s clash with Arsenal, but that has not stopped Gunners boss Mikel Arteta from considering how he will have to tackle the ‘new-manager bounce’ he fears the German could bring.
Rangnick, who is still waiting on a work permit to allow him to take full command of Man Utd, was not involved directly in Sunday’s defeat against Chelsea, but many pundits have suggested that the decision to drop Cristiano Ronaldo from the starting XI came from him.
With that in mind, Arteta is expecting Man Utd to have a new style for the Thursday clash at Old Trafford.
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Indeed, he has been speaking to Per Mertesacker, the manager of Arsenal’s academy, with regards what to expect from this new-look Man Utd.
“We try to gather information to understand more what to expect,” Arteta explained. “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.
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
- Mikel Arteta on Ralf Rangnick“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 [have] 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.
“Ralf Rangnick has been one of the top coaches in every involvement he has had in the game, not only in coaching. 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 on Arsenal’s January transfer window plans
Arteta also touched upon what his club may do in the January window after a summer in which they invested heavily in their squad.
“We are in discussions,” he said, giving little away. “We have talks every week about it, how we can improve the team, and what things can happen in the January transfer window that can affect our squad.
“As you know, we have certain players with a little bit of uncertainty in the summer, so we have to plan what’s going to happen now and what’s going to happen in the summer.
“A lot has to be done, we know and we don’t expect big things to be happening, but we need to be very alert in the market to see if we can improve the team. We have to be prepared because things can happen and injuries can arise in this period of the season and you have to be prepared and planned.”
Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League, five clear of Man Utd ahead of Thursday’s match.
