"It’s hard to say that" - Manchester City star shuts down claims that Manchester United 'gave up' during derby defeat
Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne recently defended the Manchester United players who were being criticized for giving up during the derby defeat.
Speaking to the press post-match, De Bruyne stated that his rivals could be struggling to adapt to interim manager Ralf Rangnick's pressing football.
He then added that it would be hard to say if United gave up towards the end of the game.
Manchester United were completely dismantled by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City when the two clubs faced each other in a Manchester derby.
The Cityzens won the tie 4-1 which was a deserving victory for them as they completely dominated United in all departments.
🗣 | Kevin De Bruyne:
“Manchester United played very differently to other occasions, they tried to press us."
[via @footballdaily]
https://t.co/d410Yuy588
Many experts and fans gave their opinions about Manchester United's performance against Manchester City. According to them, most United players gave up as they weren't able to match the intensity that their opponents produced on the pitch.
Manchester United legends and fans were extremely irked when they saw their players stop running for the ball. They criticized them for giving up before the final whistle. However, Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne didn't agree with the criticism as he publicly defended the Manchester United players.
The Belgian stated that he wouldn't say that his opponents gave up. De Bruyne then pointed out why United struggled against City in the second half.
Kevin de Bruyne said:
"It’s difficult to say [whether United gave up], when you play a pressing style it’s very hard to adjust to it so maybe it seemed like they did give up a little,’ De Bruyne explained. ‘It’s very hard to do it for 90 minutes as a team."
He added:
"First-half it was a bit more difficult, they pressed us a bit higher than they normally do but in the second half we found the spaces where we needed to be. I was watching the last 10 minutes and it felt like they were a little bit out, so the spaces got a bit bigger. I wouldn’t necessarily say that they gave up, it’s hard to say that."(H/T Metro.co.uk)
Kevin de Bruyne's words may be true as United still haven't adapted to Rangnick's high pressing football yet. Since Rangnick took over the mangerial role, United haven't produced a single game where they have been consistent for 90 minutes. In almost all recent ties, the Red Devils plays one half of good football while in the other half they struggle to find consistency.
Did Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick made a tactical error against Manchester City?
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick's decision to set up his team in a 4-2-2-2 formation against Manchester City was certainly a tactical error. The German placed Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba upfront and asked the remaining 8 stars to form two blocks of defense when City had the possession.
Watched a lot of Manchester United. That second-half performance was disgraceful but Rangnick also at fault. Tactics all wrong. Tried to 'cheat' and leave too many players upfield for the counter-attack and was torn apart
Even though the tactics worked during the initial 20 minutes of the game, City gained control soon after as they overloaded the midfield. As a result, the United midfield duo of Fred and McTominay had to cover a lot of ground.
Moreover, most United players looked clueless when City were just passing the ball around them in triangles. In the end, the Red Devils left a lot of space around their own box, which allowed City to dominate United in the derby.