Inside Man Utd manager interviews as Rangnick prepares to take over

Manchester United have acted quickly in their search for an interim manager, with Ralf Rangnick on the verge of being appointed until the end of the season.

Less than a week has passed since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in the aftermath of United's 4-1 Premier League defeat at Watford, with caretaker manager Michael Carrick expected to take charge of his second and final game against Chelsea on Sunday.

Former RB Leipzig and Schalke manager Rangnick was one of five candidates interviewed for the post, with Rudi Garcia and Ernesto Valverde also in contention before the decision was taken to appoint the 63-year-old.

And as the new man prepares to take over, more details of the process which saw him agree to the position have come to light.

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Rangnick's role is expected to be split into two parts, with The Athletic reporting that the German will move into a consultancy role once his spell as interim manager concludes.

It will be his first managerial job since leaving RB Leipzig in 2019, though he has spent the last several months as head of sports and development at Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow.

According to The Telegraph, he had less than 24 hours to prepare for his interview with the United higher-ups, but lasted the distance as others dropped out of the running.

The five-man list was reportedly reduced to two as former Barcelona head coach Valverde and Lucien Favre, once of Borussia Dortmund, were ruled out.

Football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher were the men tasked with interviewing candidates, in a process which only took a few days and required speedy preparations from all of those in the running.

Rangnick and Garcia were the final two candidates, with the latter - who has been out of work since leaving Lyon at the end of last season - impressing interviewers following conversations over Zoom and in person.

However, one source told The Telegraph "It was abundantly clear [Rangnick] wanted the job and he made damn sure he was going to get it."

According to reports, a number of members of Solskjaer's coaching staff will remain on board, with Carrick among those to have signed new deals with the club shortly before the Norwegian's dismissal.

The caretaker boss is expected to remain in the dugout for Sunday's Premier League match against Chelsea, as United wait for the new man to be released by Lokomotiv and take over in Manchester.

United's three games after that trip to Stamford Bridge will all take place at Old Trafford, with Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Young Boys the visitors.

As the season progresses under Rangnick, United will continue their preparations for the appointment of a new long-term successor to Solskjaer, with Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino among the leading candidates for the role.