Listless Manchester United no better under Ralf Rangnick as Wolves upset Reds
Manchester United’s disappointing defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers was made even worse by the statistics that followed.
Wolves had more shots in the first half than they had in their previous four matches combined, and it was their first away win against United in 42 years.
Ralf Rangnick’s side mustered just two shots on target all game and were largely outplayed by their opponents. The Reds were so poor that once Joao Moutinho’s effort hit the back of the net, it was evident that there was no way back for them.
Wolves were simply more daring and deserved to leave Old Trafford with three points. For Manchester United, though, this was yet another performance that highlighted the lack of progress.
Full-time at Old Trafford.
#MUFC | #MUNWOL
Reds unrecognizable under Rangnick
The biggest criticism of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he was in charge was the fact that he lacked a clear-cut plan and the team was largely disorganized.
Rangnick, for all of his experience, was expected to introduce a style of play and give the team a good structure. That hasn't happened despite training the team for a month now.
The defeat against Wolves may have been his first loss since becoming Manchester United, but it has been a long time coming. Even in games that the Reds have won, they haven’t been too impressive.
The team looks unrecognizable under the German manager and are currently playing in moments. On a day when no player can demonstrate individual brilliance, the team is likely to drop points and that was evidenced in the game against Wolves.
Most times possession lost by Man Utd in a Premier League game at Old Trafford this season:
◉ 154 vs. Burnley
◉ 150 vs. Crystal Palace
◎ 147 vs. Leeds
◎ 146 vs. Everton
◉ 145 vs. Wolves
All three Ralf Rangnick home games make the top five. 😳 https://t.co/vMOFK5ouyK
Not much has changed since Ole's departure
Like Solskjaer, Rangnick also seems very articulate during press conferences. He talks tactics very well but all that is yet to translate into performances on the pitch.
The truth is that not much has changed at Manchester United. The flaws of Solskjaer's team are still present in Rangnick's and that says a lot.
"The game showed we still have a lot of work to do and still have to take quite a few steps, both collectively and individually, especially against the ball, but in the first half in particular, in possession of the ball, there were too many unforced errors, too many giveaways," Rangnick admitted, as quoted by Manutd.com.
"In those parts of the game, we just have to get better. I don't want to speak about individual performances of players, it is an issue of the whole team.
"We can only improve the team if we get better collectively. It doesn't make sense now to talk about individual performances."
Manchester United’s problems are visible for all to see but finding a solution appears more difficult than many think and Rangnick is finding it out the hard way.