COMMENT: The League Cup and Ralf Rangnick. Well, he does have previous. The German has taken on national traditions before - and experienced the backlash. Question is, was such an indulgence this time good for Manchester United...?
For this column, the answer is... no. Both in the timing of it and also simply Rangnick's opinion. He can have his view, sure. He can offer it. But it doesn't have to be accepted. Which surely should've been the response.
In terms of United, again this was something unnecessary. United aren't playing well. They're getting results. But they're eking them out. There's been no rip-roaring rout like the one of Cardiff City on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's debut. The performances haven't come close. The team's better. The players stronger. But in terms of the football, there's a lot for Rangnick to improve upon.
Okay, okay, we're slating him here. This column likes Rangnick. We think he can do a good job as United manager. Indeed, those ambitions of his of going beyond his June brief is something we'd argue shouldn't be discounted. But last week he took the mick. Barely a month working inside the country and he took aim at a 61 year-old pillar of the English game. When there's so many forces - both in and outside the country - tearing at the traditions of English football, you really don't need someone volunteering a couple of glib lines about lower division clubs lining their pockets. Let alone that someone being less than a month working inside the local industry.
The worst aspect was that Rangnick readily volunteered his view. He was itching to get it out. As manager of the biggest club on the planet, he used that position to readily take aim.
"I mean, you know that better than I do, what a big tradition this is to play in England to play Boxing Day, to play on the 27th, even on 30th and 2nd January. This is a big tradition. I think we should stick to it and respect this tradition," well that was a good start.
"I'm looking forward to that, it's the first time in my coaching career that I will be part of that...," even better.
"But I think there might be two or three other issues that can be discussed and have been discussed in the past. England is the only country in the top five leagues that plays two cup competitions," whoah, hang on, hang on.
"Currently we are the only country that play two cup competitions; this is something maybe we could once again speak about or discuss. I know the reason for that, the Carabao Cup has been still kept for the third and fourth division teams especially, to help improve the financial situation of those clubs but I still think, if we speak about a tight calendar and playing too many games, this could be something where we could speak and discuss."
Of course, thankfully, the backlash came. It wasn't as strong as you'd like - particularly from the scribes. Though to be fair, if the Super League push (and it's rumbling along - and will return in the near future) hadn't received such a passionate resistance, the majority of 'em would be throwing their op-eds right behind messers Henry, Agnelli and Glazer today. After all, protecting football's traditions isn't really the stuff of today's media.
But there was a response, from current players and ex-pros. Jamie O'Hara. Ravel Morrison. There's still some willing to stick their neck out to fight for the English game. Morrison, formerly of United and now with Derby, highlighted how the tournament had become a competitive first step for England's best young players. O'Hara, meanwhile, simply said what was needed. The former Tottenham midfielder declaring: "He's been here two minutes and all of a sudden he's dictating what's going on and what we should do over here. He needs to get back in his box.
“He's an interim manager telling us the Carabao Cup is not even worthy."
As mentioned, Rangnick does have previous. Twenty-three years ago, the then manager of Ulm, went on national television to highlight what he was doing with his Second Division team. Problem was, in the process he happily ripped into the traditions of German football - primarily Franz Beckenbauer's sweeper innovation. Rangnick would long regret his appearance, later declaring it "a mistake", as his peers - including Beckenbauer - made public the insult they felt from the then 40 year-old's claims.
Today he's at it again. 61 years of tradition. 61 years of competition. Of glory. Of legend. Of a tournament, which has been reinvigorated in modern times. "I don't see coaches and clubs giving up the League Cup because everyone wants to win and win trophies," declared Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, 48 hours after Rangnick's claim. "If you look at the lineups of teams 10 years ago and now, you will see that they are very different."
Manchester City and Pep Guardiola certainly value it. Six time winners in the past eight years. It might not be good enough for Rangnick, but the Cup is good enough for the best team in England for the past decade.
But even if we reject the record of City. Of the ambitions of Arteta. Of the memories of all those young Premier League pros making their senior breakthrough. If we reject all that. Throw it away. The question we have for Rangnick is: what's the alternative...? Because there needs to be one. Even by his own admission. A Cup competition to financially help the lower division teams. What happens when that option is taken away? Where's the answer? What is it?
Well, he doesn't have one. They never do. Just throw it all away and let others deal with the consequences. He won't even be in the country. He won't even be part of the English game... If he and the like-minded get their way.
It's too easy to pull this one apart. Which is why, as bombastic as he was, O'Hara was spot on. Over the next week, United have Newcastle, Burnley and Wolves. That should be nine points and a reshaping of the table. That's where Rangnick's focus should be.
But at Christmas. In England. Such a schedule guarantees nothing. United could get through to the New Year with nothing to show for it. Nothing apart from an indulgent manager offering an opinion that does nothing good for Manchester United.
