Ralf Rangnick feels it does not make sense to target individual players after Paul Pogba was jeered off the pitch during Manchester United’s win over Norwich City.
It was yet another week for Manchester United fans to feel frustrated and disgruntled as the club struggled on the pitch. Norwich City threatened to derail their hopes of a top-four finish as the Red Devils’ stars underperformed.
A Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick to complete his hat-trick led to all three points on the board for Manchester United, saving the blushes of some teammates. One of them was Paul Pogba, who had a terrible game against the Premier League’s basement club. The French midfielder barely impacted the game and was substituted around the 74th-minute mark.
A section of the Old Trafford crowd constantly booed off the French midfielder, who cupped his ears when walking towards the tunnel at the break. Pogba was then jeered off when substituted, causing a stir between the fans and player.
Ralf Rangnick was not supportive of such behaviour from the fans, stating he failed to understand why individual players were singled out. Sky Sports quoted his comments as the Manchester United manager spoke about the incident to the media.
? "I can fully understand that the fans are frustrated, so are we, but I don't think they should target individual players.."pic.twitter.com/rcivtpGEEm
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 16, 2022
Rangnick said, “I didn’t hear it myself, to be honest. But we were talking about it with my staff in my office in the locker room. “I think the fans here are amazing, I really do. The support in the stadium today was again great, it couldn’t have been any better.”
“I can understand if that the fans are frustrated and disappointed – so are we. Things have stayed, as far as I know, peaceful all the time. I don’t think it makes sense to take on and target any individual person or players because it’s a collective responsibility. Even if you look into the past, for me it doesn’t make sense and this is why I will always defend and protect my players.”
Pogba has been underwhelming this season, and fans may have picked on him individually for that specific reason. The midfielder is likely to leave on a free transfer when the season ends, as the Frenchman continues to court interest from top clubs across the continent.
Whatever happens with his future, he is unlikely to continue at Manchester United, and the incident in the game against Norwich certainly seems to have fractured the fans’ relationship with the midfielder. In the end, Pogba, whenever he leaves, may not have happy memories of his last days in a Manchester United shirt.
