Tuesday, January 04, 2022
“That’s why they came for me”
Rangnick is in trouble again at United
Manchester United is initially experiencing an upswing under Ralf Rangnick, the results are correct. Now there is the first bankruptcy after a series. The result is annoying, and the trainer interprets it as a relapse into old times.
In the first defeat since taking office, Manchester United presented itself again from the point of view of interim coach Ralf Rangnick as in the weeks before he took office. The English record champions suffered a serious setback with the 0-1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers and are currently only seventh in the Premier League, 22 points behind leaders Manchester City. But what happened is more bitter than the defeat.
“If, looking at today’s performance, I say that we are 100 percent convinced that we will finish fourth, I don’t know whether people believe that,” said Rangnick, referring to the race for the Champions League places. It was clear to him that it would not be easy to find a balance between offensive and defensive. You are currently four points behind the last Champions League place in the table, which is still distorted by Corona failures, everything is still possible. But the bankruptcy is not only reflected in the table by falling back to 7th place. “We showed the same problems that the team had three or four weeks before I came,” said Rangnick.
“We didn’t play well at all, either individually or collectively,” said the German, adding: “The game showed that we still have a lot of work to do.” Of Rangnick’s game idea, which is supported by a high, collective pressing, was almost nothing to see against the Wolves. “We didn’t press at all,” said Rangnick. “We weren’t able to get into pressing situations. That’s the big problem.” It is not easy to develop a DNA with and without a ball.
“Sometimes quality is not enough”
Rangnick, who came to replace the dismissed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, got off to a good start on paper: Most recently there was an upturn with eight games without a loss. With Norwich City, Newcastle and Burnley there were three wins against teams from the last third of the table. Wolverhampton were now the first team from the top half of the table to face Rangnicks United.
The hosts were unlucky when Bruno Fernandes struck the crossbar after 67 minutes, after which Joao Moutinho scored the winning goal for Wolverhampton in the 81st minute. It was the Wolves’ first win at Old Trafford since 1980. And it was deserved: 15 shots on goal in the first half are the ones a visiting team has produced at Old Trafford since the data provider began recording statistics in 2003. There was also resentment among the home fans, with some mocking Rangnick for the decision to replace right winger Mason Greenwood shortly before the break.
“When I was on the field I didn’t feel like we were all playing together,” said United’s left-back Luke Shaw, who complained of a lack of options on the ball and a lack of aggression off the ball. The international was tough on his team: “When you look at our team, the players we have, we have incredible quality,” said Shaw. “Sometimes quality is not enough. We have to show more intensity, more aggressiveness and more motivation. From the outside it might not look like we only had one of these three things.”
Shaw meanwhile relies on Rangnick: “We have a long week of training ahead of us. And maybe the coach can bring in a few ideas that he wants to implement on the pitch.” In any case, Rangnick takes on the task, he assures: “I knew it would be difficult. That’s why they brought me,” added the 63-year-old. Aston Villa is coming to the FA Cup at Old Trafford on Saturday.