Chris Armas Joining Coaching Team at Leeds United

Chris Armas is ready to leed(s)

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican professional soccer coach and former player will join the coaching team of fellow American Jesse Marsch at Leeds United.

Chris ArmasThe former Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls coach was most recently an assistant coach at Manchester United, working under Ralf Rangnick last season.

The former USMNT international and MLS player is expected to be in the dugout for Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup round four tie at Accrington Stanley, subject to obtaining a work permit.

About the appointment, Leeds United head coach Marsch said: “He will be a fantastic addition to the staff, he brings a wealth of experience from across the world and having worked closely with him previously, I am sure he will help us to improve every day.”

Director of football Victor Orta added: “We always have constant ideas to improve the team around Jesse and with Chris it is a perfect fit, they have both worked together in the past and he has experience of working in the Premier League.

“Chris was one of the best ever players in the history of the United States and his determination and skills will add value to our club and we are really happy he has joined us.”

Armas won 66 caps for the USMNT alongside a playing career that included spells with LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire. He played alongside Marsch at Chicago Fire. He also took over at NYRB as head coach when Marsch left for RB Leipzig in 2018.

Leeds has American players Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson in its team, and has been linked with a move for another U.S. international, Weston McKennie.

Edinson Cavani Reportedly Commits to Playing with Manchester United Through End of Season

Edinson Cavani isn’t leaving just yet…

The 34-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer has told Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick that he’ll stay at Old Trafford through the end of the season.

Edinson Cavani Cavani, who is out of contract in the summer, has been linked with a January move to Barcelona or a return to South America, but Rangnick has said Cavani has promised to stay until the end of the campaign.

“I told him that if it was up to me I would want him to stay,” Rangnick said.

“I had a conversation with him [on Thursday]. He came into my office and we spoke for almost half an hour and he told me he will definitely stay and would want to stay until the end of the season.

“Not only because I told him that he should stay or has to stay, he did it on his own behalf and he told me that I can rely on him to stay until the end of the season and give his very best and be a role model for the young players.

“If he should play from the start, he’s available and he’s happy to play.

“Even if he’s not playing, he will be trying to be the best possible role model for the other players and for me this is good news.”

United and Rangnick begin their FA Cup campaign with a home tie against Aston Villa on Monday.

The club have not won a trophy since lifting the Europa League under Jose Mourinho, and Rangnick has promised to pick a strong side against Steven Gerrard‘s Villa.

Villa have already won at Old Trafford this season — a 1-0 victory in September — and since Gerrard’s appointment have climbed to 13th in the table despite losing their last two games to Chelsea and Brentford.

A home game against Middlebrough in the fourth round awaits the winner.

“I’ve always been a big fan, supporter and admirer of the FA Cup,” Rangnick said.

“For me it’s a very important competition. We will definitely try to play with our best possible team in that game and a strong team. We take the game as seriously as we can and hopefully get one round further ahead but in order to do that we have to be successful against Aston Villa.

Manchester United’s Interim Manager Wants Edinson Cavani to Stay

Will Edinson Cavani leave Manchester United? Not if the team’s manager has his way…

Man United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has told the 34-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer that he doesn’t want him to leave the Premier League club in January.

Edinson Cavani Cavani has been linked with moves to Barcelona and several clubs in South America, but Rangnick is adamant the Uruguay international is going nowhere.

“We had quite a few conversations in the last couple of weeks, probably the player with whom I have spoken most,” Rangnick said. “I told him from the very first day that, for me, he is a highly important player.

“And, as I said, his professionalism, his work ethic is just amazing and I told him that I desperately want him to stay until the end of the season. He knows that. He also knows how highly I rate him and how highly I respect him. We spoke and he knows that I will definitely not let him go.

“For me, he is a highly important player for the rest of the season, still playing in three competitions, so we will definitely need Edi. I would rather have another Edi on top of that but for me it’s clear that Edi has to stay.”

Chris Armas In Talks to Join Coaching Staff at Manchester United

Chris Armas could be headed across the pond…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican former United States international midfielder and two-time Major League Soccer (MLS) head coach could be headed to Manchester United.

Chris ArmasArmas would reportedly become part of Ralf Rangnick‘s staff, according to ESPN.

A work permit would be needed for Armas, whose last job was head coach of Toronto FC. He previously led the New York Red Bulls to a Supporters’ Shield win in 2019.

Sources have told ESPN that Rangnick, who was appointed head of Red Bull‘s global football projects in 2019, is being allowed to appoint a “small number” of his own coaching staff to work alongside Mike Phelan and Kieran McKenna, both of whom were part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s backroom team.

Another of Solskjaer’s assistants, Michael Carrick, left the club after taking charge of the team for three games before Rangnick’s appointment as interim coach until the end of the season.

Rangnick was asked about the possibility of bringing in his own staff at his official unveiling ahead of the win over Crystal Palace and said any appointments may take time to arrange.

“I’m more than happy to work with the current coaching staff because I need their experience, I need their expertise regarding the current squad,” he said.

“I will obviously try to find one, two, maybe three people who can join us in one or two weeks, but due to the Brexit regulations it’s not too easy.

“Many of my former colleagues, no matter if it’s video analysts or assistant coaches, are in long-term contracts with big clubs, so they are not available right now, and we have to be a bit smart and clever and find the right people.

“I hope that we can get them in here in the next one or two weeks.”

Armas played in MLS for LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire, with whom he won a championship in 1998, and was capped 66 times by the USMNT. He ended his playing career in 2007.