Though most publications following Ralf Rangnick have positive notes on the newly appointed Man United coach, there’s a noticeably cold reception for Eric Ramsay. He was hired by Ole Gunnar Solskjær in late summer in an attempt to offer the Red Devils an advantage on set pieces. While Rangnick sets the team back on the tracks, Ramsay has yet to impress—and he’s running out of time to find himself aligned with an improving Man United. At the moment, all eyes are on the side to shoulder past close rivals in the Premier League, such as Arsenal and Tottenham. From a fan perspective, teams like Man United are a great side to back with free bets, as they’re poised now under Rangnick to post a late-season comeback for a top-four finish—and to make it past Atlético Madrid in the next UEFA Champions League round.
Whether Ramsay will be a part of that team remains unclear.
Unable to Build on an Impressive Record
Solskjær’s decision to hire Ramsay was informed by his performance as a youth coach with Chelsea’s Under-23 team, where his set-pieces were particularly innovative and successful. But, as of 20 January, the Red Devils have yet to score on any of their 107 corner kicks for the season.
For comparison’s sake, Liverpool has scored 11 goals from corner kicks and Man City has scored 9 with a comparable number of total opportunities—and neither team has Ronaldo to work with. In fact, it’s not just the cold stats working against Ramsay, but a roster that’s overflowing with goal-scoring and play-making talent.
In other words, if Ramsay can’t make his set-pieces work with the current roster, then what cast of players could he steer in the right direction? Coupled with a slew of praise from Solskjær and other pundits, it seems like Ramsay’s failure to improve on last year’s stats has left fans decidedly impressed.
PhotoAn Emphasis on Defense
Solskjær didn’t bring Ramsay onto the team to capitalize on set-piece chances alone. He also sought to improve Man United’s abysmal defense on corners. Last season, they allowed 14 goals from corners for a finish of second-worst in the Premier League—and who can forget the first goal Villareal scored in the team’s Europa League-ending final against the Spanish side?
However, Ramsay now needs to translate his experience and expertise for an offensive gain. Halfway through his first year with the club, there’s been no improvement to last year’s set-piece growing pains—and the summer window for changes is coming up shortly.
