Navigation
  • Inter Softech
  • World
  • National
  • Business
  • Education
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Health
  • More
    • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Technology
    • Sports
Breaking News
  |  Indonesia says it will push back Rohingya refugees adrift on leaking boat   |  Plastic beads could make nets more visible to cetaceans, scientists say   |  Harry Reid, who led Senate Democrats for 12 years, dies at 82   |  Denver gunman who killed five in shooting rampage knew victims   |  Prince Andrew lawyer seeks to halt US case as accuser ‘lives in Australia’   |  Russian court orders closure of another human rights group   |  Hong Kong media outlet Stand News to close after police raid   |  Manipur NPP leader Letpao Haokip joins BJP   |  Jharkhand: Rs 25 per litre relief in price of fuel for two wheelers of the poor   |  19-year-old stabbed to death by friend’s father: Kerala Police   |  Akhilesh takes Lord Hanuman out on Vijay Yatra   |  Paul Bettany: having Johnny Depp texts read aloud in libel trial was ‘an unpleasant feeling’   |  Russian court increases jail sentence for Gulag historian   |  Jesus statue smashed in spate of attacks on India’s Christian community   |  Jean-Marc Vallée, director of Dallas Buyers Club, Wild and Big Little Lies, dies aged 58   |  Palma to limit cruise ships after environmental concerns   |  Donald Trump golf resorts claimed at least £3.3m in UK furlough support   |  Afghan ex-BBC journalist stranded for months due to Home Office scheme delays   |  England cricket capitulations have gone from car-crash to commonplace   |  Tennis star Denis Shapovalov tests positive for Covid after arriving in Sydney

Latest News

Chris Armas was a forgettable head coach in MLS. So why is he at Manchester United?

December 14, 2021
73

There has long been familiar faces among the Old Trafford coaching staff. From Ryan Giggs to Michael Carrick to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United have been keen to maintain the link between players and coaches. However, the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager hints at a different approach.

Rangnick is just one of the new faces United fans will have to become familiar with and Chris Armas, announced as the club’s new assistant coach following the exit of Carrick, is another. The former USA midfielder has been out of work since leaving Toronto FC in Major League Soccer in July, and is, on the surface, a left-field choice. Few in Premier League circles had heard of him before his arrival at Old Trafford.

Armas and Rangnick, however, have history together. The new Manchester United interim manager was head of sport and development for Red Bull’s football operations while Armas was head coach of the New York Red Bulls between 2018 and 2020.

Appointed to give Manchester United wings, Rangnick is seemingly keen to replicate many of the ideas that worked so well for him as the architect of the Red Bull football empire. The arrival of Armas at the club is just another sign of how the German will seek to put his own stamp on a club in desperate need of a new direction, as is the hiring of former RB Leipzig sports psychologist Sascha Lense.

For MLS fans, the sight of Armas in the dugout of one of the world’s biggest clubs will be jarring. While the former midfielder lifted the Supporters’ Shield (the trophy handed to the team with the best regular-season record in MLS) as New York Red Bulls head coach, his managerial career on the other side of the Atlantic isn’t exactly held in the highest regard.

The strong pillars put in place at New York Red Bulls by Jesse Marsch, who Armas worked with as an assistant before replacing midway through the 2018 season, were eroded. The Red Bulls won the Supporters’ Shield in 2018, but in Armas’ only full season at the helm, in 2019, the team finished sixth in the Eastern Conference, their joint-lowest finish in 10 years. He parted ways with the club after a difficult start to the 2020 season. The regression was undeniable.

A six-month spell as Toronto FC head coach in 2021 was even more troublesome. He took over a team that had finished second in the Eastern Conference and had grown accustomed to challenging for honours in recent seasons. But under Armas their start to the campaign was terrible and he left on the back of a 7-1 loss to DC United, the worst defeat in the team’s history.

In New York, Armas was given the benefit of the doubt by some due to the club’s relatively modest budget compared to that of some of their rivals. He might have inherited Marsch’s team, but RBNY continued to play a brand of dynamic, high-pressing soccer under Armas. What’s more, they had a better record in the second half of 2018, (after Marsch left) even if 2019 witnessed a dramatic dip in performance levels. At Toronto FC, though, Armas flatlined at a club with one of the highest payrolls in the league, and he might struggle to find another head coach job in MLS because of it.

But there are reasons to think Armas can thrive at Old Trafford. The skillset to be a successful assistant manager is very different to that of a successful manager and it’s possible Armas has the people skills to act as an effective liaison between Rangnick and his new players at Manchester United. This is, after all, a role he performed for a number of years before becoming a head coach.

Indeed, Armas’s social skills have been praised by players who have worked under him. The former New York Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty told the Athletic that: “Chris cares about people deeply. He wants to foster and establish relationships that go beyond the soccer field. As an athlete, I can tell you that’s one of the most valuable assets that an assistant coach can have – or any coach for that matter. It doesn’t surprise me that Ralf would want someone like that on his staff.”

Much of the discussion around Rangnick’s appointment at Old Trafford has revolved around his ‘Gegenpressing’ ideology and how Manchester United will be expected to play a more proactive, high-pressing game under the German. Armas, as an assistant, was a key figure alongside Marsch in implementing a similar style of play at the New York Red Bulls. Regression only happened when Armas was left in sole charge, but he will have the more experienced Rangnick to guide things in England.

For Rangnick to be truly influential, Manchester United must give him the freedom to reshape the club. They must trust the German to make the right decisions for the future and that includes allowing him to pick a backroom staff that best reflect his philosophy. If Armas helps Rangnick communicate his ideas more clearly, that can only be a good thing for United. This is a club that has learned the hard way that good players don’t always make good managers and now they are making a bet that bad managers don’t always make bad assistants.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

facebookShare on Facebook
TwitterTweet
FollowFollow us

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Advertisment

Recent Posts

  • Indonesia says it will push back Rohingya refugees adrift on leaking boat
    Latest News, World
    December 29, 2021
    Indonesian authorities have said they will push a boat containing 120 Rohingya Muslims back to international waters despite fears that it could sink off the country’s northernmost province of Aceh. The boat was reportedly leaking, had a damaged […]
  • Plastic beads could make nets more visible to cetaceans, scientists say
    Latest News, World
    December 29, 2021
    Simple plastic beads could save the lives of some of the thousands of porpoises and other cetaceans that get caught in fishing nets each year, scientists say. Harbour porpoises use echolocation to find their prey and for orientation. However, their […]
  • Harry Reid, who led Senate Democrats for 12 years, dies at 82
    Latest News, World
    December 29, 2021
    Harry Reid, who emerged from the unforgiving political landscape of Las Vegas, Nevada, to lead the Senate Democrats for 12 turbulent years, died on Tuesday at age 82. Reid died Tuesday, “peacefully” and surrounded by friends “following a courageous, […]
  • Denver gunman who killed five in shooting rampage knew victims
    Latest News, World
    December 29, 2021
    A gunman who killed five people and injured two others in a series of shootings in Denver is believed to have targeted the victims based on previous personal and business dealings and was investigated by police twice in the last two years. Denver […]
  • Prince Andrew lawyer seeks to halt US case as accuser ‘lives in Australia’
    Latest News, World
    December 29, 2021
    Prince Andrew’s lawyer has called for the US civil case against the royal over alleged sexual assault to be stopped because his accuser is “actually domiciled in Australia”. Virginia Giuffre is suing the Queen’s son for allegedly assaulting her when […]
  • Russian court orders closure of another human rights group
    Latest News, World
    December 29, 2021
    A Russian court has ordered the closure of the Memorial Human Rights Centre (MHRC), a day after the supreme court revoked the legal status of its sister organisation, Memorial International. Moscow city court authorised the dissolution of the group […]
  • Hong Kong media outlet Stand News to close after police raid
    Latest News, World
    December 29, 2021
    The Hong Kong pro-democracy media outlet Stand News has said it will shut down after police raided its offices earlier in the day and arrested senior staff on suspicion of “conspiracy to publish seditious publications”. “Because of the situation, […]
  • Manipur NPP leader Letpao Haokip joins BJP
    Latest News, National
    December 29, 2021
    Manipur minister and NPP leader Letpao Haokip on Thursday joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Bhupender Yadav. NPP is BJP’s ally in Manipur and Haokip is the youth affairs and sports minister in the BJP-led government in the state. […]
  • Jharkhand: Rs 25 per litre relief in price of fuel for two wheelers of the poor
    Latest News, National
    December 29, 2021
    Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren Wednesday announced concession of Rs 25 per litre on petrol and diesel prices for two wheelers owned by the poor in the state from Republic Day next year. Soren made the announcement on it on the completion of […]
  • 19-year-old stabbed to death by friend’s father: Kerala Police
    Latest News, National
    December 29, 2021
    A 19-year-old man, who went to meet his friend at her house, was stabbed to death by her father in the wee hours of Wednesday here, police said. Police identified the victim as Aneesh George. He was stabbed to death at the house of Simon Lalu. […]
  • Akhilesh takes Lord Hanuman out on Vijay Yatra
    Latest News, National, Politics
    December 29, 2021
    Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is on a Rath Yatra to boost his chances to return to power in Uttar Pradesh next year. Rath Yatra holds a special political significance in Uttar Pradesh politics. It was a Rath Yatra by veteran Bharatiya […]
  • Paul Bettany: having Johnny Depp texts read aloud in libel trial was ‘an unpleasant feeling’
    Latest News, World
    December 27, 2021
    The actor Paul Bettany has spoken for the first time about having the text messages exchanged between himself and Johnny Depp concerning Amber Heard read out at Depp’s libel trial. Bettany, who is currently promoting A Very British Scandal, told the […]
  • Russian court increases jail sentence for Gulag historian
    Latest News, World
    December 27, 2021
    A Russian court has increased a jail sentence for the Gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev to a total of 15 years on charges his supporters say are punishment for his work exposing Stalin-era crimes. Supporters say Dmitriyev, 65, is being targeted because […]
  • Jesus statue smashed in spate of attacks on India’s Christian community
    Latest News, World
    December 27, 2021
    Festive celebrations were disrupted, Jesus statues were smashed and effigies of Santa Claus were burned in a spate of attacks on India’s Christian community over Christmas. Amid growing intolerance and violence against India’s Christian minority, […]
  • Jean-Marc Vallée, director of Dallas Buyers Club, Wild and Big Little Lies, dies aged 58
    Latest News, World
    December 27, 2021
    Jean-Marc Vallée, the Canadian director best known for his work on Matthew McConaughey drama Dallas Buyers Club, has died aged 58. Vallée’s representative, Bumble Ward, said he died suddenly over the weekend in his cabin outside Quebec City. His two […]
  • Palma to limit cruise ships after environmental concerns
    Latest News, World
    December 27, 2021
    Officials in the Balearic Islands will seek to limit cruise ships to a maximum of three vessels a day at its largest port, in a deal described as the first of its kind in Spain. The regional government said in a statement that arrivals at Palma in […]
  • Donald Trump golf resorts claimed at least £3.3m in UK furlough support
    Latest News, World
    December 27, 2021
    Donald Trump’s loss-making Scottish golf resorts claimed in excess of £3.3m in emergency support from the UK government, to help furlough staff during the Covid pandemic. Company accounts for the former president’s resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire […]
  • Afghan ex-BBC journalist stranded for months due to Home Office scheme delays
    Latest News, World
    December 27, 2021
    An Afghan former BBC journalist who managed to flee the Taliban has been stranded in a refugee camp for months because of delays to a resettlement scheme promised by the UK government. Mudassar Kadir* is the only one of 14 former BBC employees to […]
  • England cricket capitulations have gone from car-crash to commonplace
    Latest News, Sports
    December 26, 2021
    Typical: Christmas evening, you turn on the television and it’s another bloody repeat. Although in fairness to England, pick through the dental records of their latest Ashes capitulation and you might just be able to identify a few distinguishing […]
  • Tennis star Denis Shapovalov tests positive for Covid after arriving in Sydney
    Latest News, Sports
    December 26, 2021
    Canadian tennis star Denis Shapovalov has announced he has tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Sydney ahead of the Australian Open. The 22-year-old is one of the first overseas players to arrive in Australia and is part of Canada’s team […]

Categories

  • Business (8)
  • Crime (11)
  • Education (1)
  • Health (7)
  • Latest News (396)
  • Lifestyle (6)
  • National (100)
  • Odisha (24)
  • Politics (24)
  • Sports (19)
  • Uncategorized (2)
  • World (209)

© Inter Softech 2021 - All rights reserved. Designed by Inter Softech

MENU
  • Intersoftech
  • World
  • National
  • Business
  • Education
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Technology
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
Web Design BangladeshBangladesh Online Market