Sharp joins Manchester United backroom staff as coach/analyst
Sharp previously worked with Rangnick at Lokomotiv Moscow
Written by Training Ground Guru — December 23, 2021
EWAN SHARP has joined Ralf Rangnick’s backroom staff at Manchester United as coach/analyst.
The Scot joins from Lokomotiv Moscow, where he was also coach/ analyst, having been brought to the club by Rangnick two months ago when he was Head of Sports and Development.
Sharp also worked under the German - who is United’s interim manager to the end of the season - during his time as Performance Analyst at New York Red Bulls. During this time Sharp also worked with United's new assistant Chris Armas - as well as at Toronto.
Rangnick is a big believer in the coach/analyst role, which is more commonplace on the Continent than it is in England.
Anderlecht Performance Analyst Richard Bredice recently told TGG: “You’re now seeing a new hybrid role of coach-analyst, which is becoming a lot more prevalent. You get somebody who is doing the analysis but spends a lot of time on the grass as well.”
Newcastle United recently appointed Mark Leyland, Liverpool’s former Head of Post-Match Analysis, to this role, while Steve Rands does it at Nottingham Forest under manager Steve Cooper.
Rangnick was keen to bolster the ranks at United after a raft of recent backroom departures. Michael Carrick exited after 15 years as player and coach for the club at the start of this month, while fellow assistants Kieran McKenna and Martyn Pert left to join Ipswich Town last week.
Carrick and McKenna in particular worked very closely with Head of Analysis Paul Brand and were regularly mic’d up to him on matchdays.
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