Arsenal: Don’t sell Ralf Rangnick short on name value alone

Arsenal’s shortlist for managerial candidates is gradually coming to light, and Ralf Rangnick appears to be on it. That’s great, but the name value won’t hold water.

Ivan Gazidis made it incredibly clear what Arsenal were looking for in any potential managerial candidate and it doesn’t look good for anyone hoping for a big name guy laden with a prestigious trophy cabinet.

The more likely situation involves a young manager, with a ton of potential, who is looking to settle in for a lengthy spell and grow within the team.

Which is a polarizing strategy that is already causing some fans a good deal of consternation. Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta have both been discussed at length and have also been duly written off because they “lack experience,” which is such a cop out, honestly.

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And now, in steps Ralf Rangnick, a managerial candidate that very few would have heard of and, as such, very few will be keen to get behind. But you may be surprised to hear that buried beneath a relatively low name recognition is a resume that fits the profile to a tee.

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First of all, he has found success as a manager. The last time FC Schalke were at their peak, Rangnick was the manager. He guided them to three trophies over the course of his split tenure there and established himself as a man with a bright managerial future.

This, in turn, gave way to his tenures as a sporting director at Red Bull Salzburg and then Red Bull Leipzig. These are two teams that he essentially helped lift themselves up from the depths of obscurity to become European contenders. And this was merely as Sporting Director, followed by a brief managerial stint at RB Leipzig before returning to Sporting Director.

It’s an interesting resume, but one that checks all the boxes. He knows how to lift up a team. He knows how to build an attacking engine that can score goals and play exciting football. He knows how to win trophies and he’s young enough that he can look ahead at his next chance as that big next step.

Sven Mislintat’s influence is seen again with this link, as the Bundesliga connection has been established ever since the former Dortmund man made the move to the Gunners.

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In the end, this isn’t a name that will bring about a lot of excitement. But it should.