Manchester United’s game was ‘compromised’ due to lack of pressing from Cristiano Ronaldo, says Ralf Rangnick
India Today
Manchester United’s outgoing coach Ralf Rangnick has blamed the lack of physicality among his players for poor football. The interim coach is set to coach in his last game on Sunday.
Manchester United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick is set to play his final game of the season against Crystal Palace on Sunday, 22 May. Rangnick, who has had a turbulent season with United said that his team could not play to their full potential due to the lack of physicality in the team.
Talking about high energy football, Rangnick said that the lack of pressing up to due to the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, compromised his style of football and they could not play the aggressive style of play that he would have liked to implement.
"I agree we never came near to that aggressive, proactive football. That has to do with physicality if we want to play like that," Rangnick said.
"If you think of Juergen Klopp's first season at Liverpool they did not play that kind of football, it took them one and a half seasons. In the end they finished eighth."
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 24 goals for United this season has often been called out by the fans and pundits for his lack of pressing. Many have compared Ronaldo’s (37) workrate to that of Edinson Cavani’s (35) stating that Ronaldo barely cares to press high up the field.
"Cristiano scored a few goals but, again, Cristiano - and I'm not blaming him at all, he did great in those games - but he's not a pressing monster," he added.
"The same with quite a few other players so we had to make some compromises at one stage... we never found the right balance between what we need with the ball and without."
