Combining old men and social media is rarely a comfortable mix.
It’s the modern day equivalent of passing the TV remote control to your grandad back in the 1980s. And so we have reached the point where Ralf Rangnick has made a fool of himself trying to instil old school rules in the 21st century and coming off decidedly worse.
In addition, Manchester United’s interim manager has inadvertently exposed the double standards that underline his rule and why he is highly unlikely to get the job full time.
The embarrassing spat between him and Jesse Lingard is not so much a battle of who said what? It is how? And in taking a follow up pop at the highly-regarded and often put-upon midfielder, Rangnick, who is 63, has shown himself out of touch with the modern player and just a teeny weeny bit of a hypocrite.
But enough of one to make him look a little slippery.
Rangnick copped the hump when Lingard took to social media to respond to claims that he asked for time off which meant missing last Friday’s humiliating FA Cup defeat by Middlesbrough.
The fact it was at home and after a penalty shootout against an average Championship side had Rangnick scrambling for a scapegoat.
There was no hesitation from the vastly experienced German to explain to a gallery of journalists on Zoom that Lingard had asked for a break so did not feature.
Full public disclosure on the web, reaching out to Manchester United’s millions of followers worldwide within seconds.
Yet when Lingard says this is news to him via his 2.8 million Twitter followers, Rangnick rounded on his audacious midfielder.
There was a curt disregard for social media and a declaration that stuff like this should be discussed within the walls of Old Trafford.
How is 29-year-old Lingard meant to take that? A simple case of do as I say and not as I do. Only it doesn’t end there.
Players today take things like this to heart. Rangnick probably thinks he can say or do as he pleases because he is on a short term contract.
But coaching elite footballers today is perhaps more about communication than kicking a ball. Rangnick can’t tell Lingard how to play football. Down the road at Chelsea, Rangnick’s fellow German Thomas Tuchel is showing the way.
He works on positioning, formation and tactics but is far more understanding that keeping players in the loop is key. There is never a word said to the press about the Chelsea players that Tuchel has not previously addressed with the person concerned.
Like Rangnick, Tuchel had an undistinguished playing career. Unlike his fellow countryman, having worked as a barman, Tuchel looks up to his squad - despite being 6ft 6in tall.
There have been issues at Chelsea this season. There always will be at the big clubs.
Most notably Romelu Lukaku’s unauthorised interview with Italian TV copped the Belgian striker a two week fine for saying he was unhappy with his lot.
But it was the player who first sang like a canary to the media, not the boss. Tuchel claimed the moral high ground throughout, then pulled Lukaku in for a frank chat and won the day against a player who cost £97 million.
Lukaku apologised fully and now carries his tail between his legs like a sorrowful dog who has peed on the sofa.
If Rangnick entertains any slim notion of taking on the Manchester United job full time he would do well to follow Tuchel’s lead.
It is no surprise that stories are emerging that the players are forming a unified voice in their wish for Rangnick to hop it at the end of the season.
Instead they want Mauricio Pochettino, the former Tottenham manager who made a good squad great with his ability to galvanise a dressing room.
Spurs have been a pale imitation of the team they were under the colourful Argentinian who took them all the way to the Champions League final in 2019.
The Spurs dressing room has rotted since he left the following November with a succession of managers who can’t talk to players for toffee.
Dele Alli is still a great footballer but his mind went under Jose Mourinho and he now needs a fresh start at Everton to save his career. Danny Rose fell out with the same boss and Spurs have yet to replace him fully.
All clear signs that miscommunication might seem minor at the time but it has a nasty habit of festering.
Rangnick is either going to pay the price, or clear off come May and leave the mess for someone else to deal with if he is not careful.
