"I'm baffled by that" - Ian Wright feels Ralf Rangnick 'doesn't trust' Manchester United star enough after Wolves defeat
Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick "doesn't trust" young forward Mason Greenwood.
Wright spoke in the aftermath of the Red Devils' 1-0 reverse at Old Trafford against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Greenwood started the game alongside Jadon Sancho behind Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo.
All four players were off the pace on the night, with Sancho particularly struggling. However, Rangnick chose to take off Greenwood on the hour mark to bring on Bruno Fernandes with the score at 0-0. The move wasn't well-received by the Manchester United fans, who thought Cavani or Sancho should've gone off.
Speaking after the game, Wright opined that Greenwood should've stayed on the pitch due to what he is capable of. He told Premier League Productions (via Metro):
"I think that was a sacrifice because it’s easy to take him off. You’re not going to take off Cavani or Ronaldo. He’s taken off Greenwood who is someone at the age where he is kind of fearless. We know what he is capable of doing."
Why Mason was taken off during the second half of this evening's game 👇
#MUFC | #MUNWOL
Wright added:
"He’s always going to get on the ball and dribble at people. You don’t take that off because he is going to do something at some stage that’s going to create a chance. For Greenwood to be taken off, because Cavani is more experienced and the stature of the player, says to me ‘I don’t trust him enough now’."
The former Arsenal forward was particularly surprised that Greenwood was hooked off but Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay completed the game.
"When you consider [Nemanja] Matic and [Scott] McTominay played the whole 90 minutes when they needed something, I am baffled by that."
Manchester United hit roadblock in race for top 4
When Manchester United appointed Rangnick as their interim boss, many believed it came at the right time. The Red Devils had a favorable, although hectic, run of fixtures that should've made them well-placed for the final UEFA Champions League spot.
However, the club have only ended up making it all the more difficult for themselves. Manchester United have dropped four points to relegation-threatened Newcastle United and eighth-place Wolves in little over a week. They are now seventh in the league, having played 19 matches.
The pace-setters march on 📈 https://t.co/oZewAGOdOq
Meanwhile, their close competitors Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been in fantastic form. The Gunners have won four of their last five league games while Antonio Conte's Spurs are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League matches.
West Ham United, who seemed to have hit a blip in form, have also returned to winning ways with victories in each of their last two league fixtures.
Consequently, the road to a top four finish only seems to be getting harder and harder for Manchester United.