Following their disappointing start to the season, Manchester United decided to make a change, parting ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and bringing in Ralf Rangnick as the interim manager till the end of the season. And while he might have only been in charge for a couple of games till now, there has already been a visible change in the style of football and the collective approach of the players.
Manchester United put in a solid performance against Crystal Palace at the weekend. The 1-0 scoreline might not suggest so but the Red Devils were pretty dominant on that occasion, and looked better at both ends of the pitch.
In the second game, Rangnick named a much changed playing XI with qualification for the knockout phases of the competition already secure. And considering that, a 1-1 draw against Young Boys was a solid result for the Red Devils.
Rangnick was not completely satisfied with the performance though, especially some of the mistakes. As reported by Manchester Evening News, the interim manager said:
"“What annoyed me most was the way we played to the pressing first line. So we sent quite a few pressing invitations to them, including the goal we conceded. We had the chance to not only clear the ball but play the ball forward twice but we didn’t. They had the opportunity to score the equaliser.“I told them that before the game but still they played in that situation a five-metre pass and they were just waiting for the ball.”"
Manchester United’s style of play looks set to undergo a transformation
It is understandable that Manchester United would take some time to adjust to Rangnick’s system. It is no secret that his style of play is very different to the one that the Red Devils have been playing for a long time.
Also, one cannot forget that the team against Young Boys was very experimental with the manager giving rest to most of the regular starters. We are unlikely to see that exact combination of players on the pitch together in a Champions League match, or even a Premier League match, ever again in the future.
Overall, the early signs under Rangnick have been very promising. Also, Manchester United are starting to build up some solid momentum. They have not lost a single game since the departure of Solskjaer, winning three and drawing two.