Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel admits he does not feel sorry for Ralf Rangnick as the Manchester United interim manager continues to live out a lifelong dream at Old Trafford. Rangnick stepped into the breach when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November and is set to remain in post until the end of this season.
Change is on the horizon at United as Erik ten Hag prepares to take over as permanent manager this summer after first setting his sights on a third Eredivisie title in four years at Ajax. His appointment was confirmed last week - and United will pay the Dutch club £1.7million in compensation for his highly-rated coaching services.
Before then, Rangnick is set for his first meeting in the dugout with Tuchel on Thursday night (7.45pm). Tuchel was on the SSV Ulm books during a playing career that was cut short by injury and also featured 18 months under a man he will go head to head with at Old Trafford.
However, while United have struggled to meet their objectives since Rangnick was tasked with qualifying for the Champions League and winning some silverware, Tuchel says there are more upsides than downsides to his German compatriot and the work he has done in the Premier League.
Rangnick is often credited by Tuchel and other coaches such as Jurgen Klopp and Julian Nagelsmann as being the driving force behind modern German coaching methods and an inspiration for the first steps they each took on the managerial ladder.
Asked if he felt sorry for Rangnick, the Chelsea manager said: "Not too much! He is coach at Manchester United.
"Maybe it does not work out at this moment, in terms of the points and how he wished for it and, maybe, how he deserves, but I don't feel sorry because it is a huge job and they are a huge club.
"He is in this position and I think it was a lifelong dream for him to work in the Premier League and work for one of the biggest clubs in the world. It is more of an upside than a downside."