5 big decisions Ralf Rangnick needs to make at Manchester United
Manchester United suffered their first defeat under interim manager Ralf Rangnick on Monday night. Joao Moutinho's 82nd minute strike helped Wolverhampton Wanderers earn a much deserved win over the Red Devils. Bruno Lage's men came to Old Trafford and completely outplayed the hosts.
Ralf Rangnick stuck to pretty much the same lineup he used in the 3-1 win over Burnley last week. An injured Harry Maguire had to give way for Phil Jones. It says a lot about Manchester United's form when Jones, who was playing his first game in almost two years, was their best player on the pitch.
The loss didn't come as a shock to Manchester United fans as there were signs of this in the 1-0 win over Norwich City and the 1-1 draw against Newcastle United. It is becoming clearer by the day that the rot at the club doesn't stop at the manager.
If he is to turn this around, Ralf Rangnick will need to make some tough calls. Without further ado, let's take a look at five big decisions Ralf Rangnick needs to make at Manchester United.
#5 Ralf Rangnick should not give Cristiano Ronaldo a free pass
Cristiano Ronaldo has started all but of the five Premier League games Manchester United have played so far under Ralf Rangnick. Over the course of those six games, he scored a penalty each against Arsenal and Norwich City.
Ronaldo was also in the right place at the right time to poke home a rebounded shot against Burnley. It's worth asking at this point if Ronaldo contributes much beyond these goals. Don't get us wrong. The primary duty of a striker is, of course, to score goals.
But let's take a look at a few damning stats. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Edinson Cavani, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic combined won possession in the attacking third once. Manchester United centre-back Phil Jones was the only one who was able to do it.
๐คฏ Phil Jones won possession in the ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐ for Manchester United as many times as Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Edinson Cavani, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic combined (1) #MUNWOL
Ronaldo had three touches inside the opposition box. For context, Wolves defender Conor Coady had just as many touches inside United's box. Ronaldo dropped deep far too often and his ball progression skills are pedestrian at best these days.
The Edinson Cavani - Cristiano Ronaldo striker duo are holding Manchester United back a lot. They are simply not mobile enough. This brings us to our next point...
#4 Manchester United should sign a mobile striker
Young River Plate striker Julian Alvarez has been heavily linked with Manchester United. Reports claim the 21-year-old's agent will shortly hold a meeting with Manchester United's representatives over a potential transfer.
A deal will be contingent on Manchester United offloading Anthony Martial. But it's about time the Red Devils became proactive about finding a solution to their attacking woes.
Both Cavani and Ronaldo are way past their primes and while they can still offer moments of magic every once in a while, Rangnick cannot rely on them on a weekly basis.
๐จ Manchester United told Julian Alvarez's agent that the club will have to sell Anthony Martial before going into further discussion about paying the release clause. In the mean time, other clubs especially from Serie A remain in the race #mufc #mujournal
[@AlfredoPedulla]