PETR CECH has warned Chelsea not to underestimate Manchester United with the imminent arrival of Ralf Rangnick.
The Red Devils axed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last weekend as Michael Carrick stepped into the dug-out to oversee Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League win over Villarreal.
Now 66-year-old German Rangnick is set to arrive at Old Trafford after agreeing a deal to become interim manager until the end of the season.
He will then begin work as a consultant for the club, with United pushing ahead to try and bring in Mauricio Pochettino in as their long-term new boss.
Rangnick will not arrive in time for Sunday’s Premier League showdown at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
United were without a win in five prior to Solskjaer’s exit, but the triumph over Villarreal provided previously outcasted Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial a chance to shine – and they both took it.
And Cech, who is now technical and performance director for the Blues, warned Thomas Tuchel’s side not to be complacent in his column on the Chelsea website.
He said: “We have a saying in Czech: ‘The new broom sweeps better’. It’s always tricky when you play teams with a new manager.
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“That’s what Manchester United will be hoping for: when you get a change of manager, you always have a reaction.
“Suddenly, everybody starts from the same spot again. The new manager brings new ideas about the team, the tactics, the strategy.
“Even if it’s only the manager who has left, and everyone else has stayed in place, you still get the sense of a fresh start.”
Cech added: “It gives everybody a new incentive and new motivation to perform well. There is a change in energy, and this is what creates difficulty for the team who is facing them.
“The worry is you might find a team who is more motivated, and gets a bit more confidence at the beginning.
“Otherwise it’s up to you how well you play, how well you adapt and how well you control the game.”
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