Manchester United finally show the world what is expected of them or First game under Rangnick

Of course, it’s still too early to make any judgments, but already in the first game we could see some changes for the better. At the same time, the arrival of Ralf Rangnick means a big problem for several players who will now probably be sidelined, maybe even heading elsewhere from Old Trafford.

On paper, Manchester United are very strong and should no doubt be battling with Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool for the title. Unfortunately, the reality is different, with two things in particular preventing it from doing so until last week.

One is the chemistry of the team, with three new signings in the starting eleven, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho, without question. The second thing was a quality coach with vision and tactical ability who can make these big names into a great functioning machine.

Already the first game showed that in just a few days Rangnick was able to change a lot of things, like the fact that the Red Devils were much more active in pressing and meticulous in defense, which resulted in the fact that after a very long time we could see a game in which the players in red jerseys were absolutely dominant for the whole 90 minutes and practically did not let Crystal Palace into the game at all.

Of course, the combination in front of the opponent’s goal is still lacking, but even the German coach can’t work miracles and I personally expect it to get better from game to game.

Who won’t play much under Rangnick?

Luke Shaw

The arrival of a new coach could not excite Luke Shaw at all and for one simple reason. There is Alex Telles at Old Trafford, and while the English left-back has had a great season since his arrival, he is still the type of player that doesn’t suit Rangknick.

Telles is a far more complete defender with great kicking technique, which is perfectly demonstrated by his stats from the 2019/20 season when he was still at Porto. Over the season, he managed to score 11 goals, assist 8 goals and created 57 chances. In that season, Shaw played 800 minutes less but didn’t score a goal and created just 20 chances.

Obviously we can’t compare the Portuguese league to the Premier League, but these stats make it clear why Telles came to Manchester United and one great season from Shaw probably won’t change the fact that he’ll be sitting on the bench. However, we have to mention the fact that the England international is a great fighter who certainly won’t give up, and when he gets the chance, he’ll take it!

Nemanja Matic

Another man up for elimination is Nemanja Matic, who will probably be packing his bags very soon. Rangnick doesn’t use his type of players and they don’t fit his system. Moreover, Manchester United have already been linked with the arrival of RB Leipzig’s defensive midfielder, who is a big favourite of the German coach, specifically we are talking about Amadou Haidar.

Moreover, Fred is also active at Old Trafford, and apparently, only if Haidara really strengthens the Red Devils, he will be spinning the new signing the same way Telles did with Shaw. However, there are still a pair of midfielders in the squad in Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba. It will certainly be interesting to see how Rangnick handles this, but the worry is pleasant.

Cristiano Ronaldo

A lot of people have also alluded to Cristiano Ronaldo, only the Portuguese cannonballer is a guarantee of goals and he is also a fighter who will do everything to win. He may not play as often as he used to, but you definitely don’t put a killer like Ronaldo on the bench!

Bright tomorrows

Rangnick and co. now face games against easier opponents, which they need to take advantage of and pick up points regularly. Then next year will be the real test to see where Manchester United really stand.

Source: Sky Sports, Premier League, Twitter