Ralf Rangnick may have only taken charge of three matches as interim manager of Manchester United but his actions behind the scenes have given supporters an insight into what type of a boss he really is.
The 63-year-old is one of football's most acclaimed coaches, with his philosophy one which has influenced countless colleagues.
But when it comes to Rangnick's style of management off the pitch, much less is known about the 'Godfather of Gegenpressing'.
And his credentials seriously were tested just weeks into his new job, as a Covid-19 outbreak at Old Trafford ravaged the Red Devils' squad and forced two of their Premier League matches to be postponed.
Amid the jeapordy, Rangnick went the extra mile to make sure he was doing everything he could in order to keep his players well and further explain exactly what he wants from them over the coming months.
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As per The Times, the former RB Leipzig boss saw the nine days between their postponed clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on December 18 and the trip to Newcastle United on Monday as an ideal time to drill new instructions into his players, ensuring no time was wasted.
"Obviously we couldn’t train, so I spoke with most of the players who were either in isolation or positively tested," Rangnick revealed ahead of Untied's first match since December 11, a 1-0 win at Norwich City.
"I spoke with 16 or 17 players individually over the phone to hear how they are and how they were feeling."
Now the Red Devils are back in action, Rangnick is relishing his first taste of festive action, looking to become the first United boss to keep clean sheets in his first three league games.
He told manutd.com : "I've watched Premier League football for the last 40 years so when it was also the First Division and I know what kind of tradition it is to play football over Christmas and on Boxing Day, the 27th, the 30th and even New Year's Day or the second of January.
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"So if somebody came across the idea to abolish then we might as well speak about abolishing the five o'clock tea or the Queen or whatever – this is all part of the tradition of this country and I'm very much looking forward to being part of this for the first time in my career."
Rangnick is expected to have a near-fully-fit squad to choose from at St James' Park, with Newcastle looking to win just their second league game this season.
Only Paul Pogba and youngster Hannibal Mejbri are ruled out, while Raphael Varane and Edinson Cavani could be set to make their first appearances since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 's sacking in November.
