Ralf Rangnick gave an honest assessment of Manchester United’s problems against Southampton, as the Red Devils slipped in the top-four race.
Manchester United faltered again in their quest for a top-four finish. The big problem for Ralf Rangnick has been the inconsistent run of results, as his team keeps dropping valuable points, as seen earlier in the week against Burnley. The defence, in particular, has come in for massive criticism for their overall display, which keeps knocking the club back.
The Red Devils have played 24 games in the Premier League, as many as fourth-placed West Ham United. But after dropping four points in their last two matches, Tottenham and Arsenal have been given a great opportunity to gain momentum and open up a gap on Manchester United, if they manage to win their games in hand.
However, another big issue has been their home form, and Manchester United failed again in a match at Old Trafford. Rangnick’s men could only manage a draw against Southampton, as they squandered a lead yet again. The manner of the outing against the Saints was a replica of their performance with Burnley.
After the game, Ralf Rangnick was honest in his assessment of the players and their problems against Southampton. His comments appeared on The Athletic, as he lamented dropping valuable points and explained where his team struggled on the pitch.
Rangnick said, “We had a very good first half-hour, we did all the things we intended to do with the counter-attacks and weak runs, it’s the way we created and prepared a great goal. But we stopped doing that, and in the second half, we lost a bit of shape.”
“We struggled to defend them in transition. We had enough chances in the last 20-minutes to score again, the expected goal ratio was clearly in our favour, but in the end, we didn’t get the result we wanted to.”
“On the one hand, we have to respect that Southampton played well, they are not easy to play against. But we lost composure and took the wrong decisions, sometimes under pressure, sometimes not. This is where we have to get better.”
Manchester United must now find a way to turn their poor form around quickly. Otherwise they will soon fall by the wayside in their chase for a top-four finish come the end of the season.
