"More than what I expected" - Ralf Rangnick delivers verdict on Manchester United's performance after hard-fought 1-0 win against Crystal Palace
Ralf Rangnick has provided his thoughts on Manchester United's performance in their hard-fought victory over Crystal Palace.
Manchester United faced Crystal Palace in the Premier League in interim manager Ralf Rangnick's first game in charge of the club. The German marked the occasion by leading the Red Devils to a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
An afternoon of firsts for Ralf Rangnick!
First game ✔️
First goal ✔️
First win ✔️
#MUFC | #MUNCRY https://t.co/WLxItQvSO6
The hosts looked threatening from the off and caused problems for Crystal Palace's defense. However, Manchester United failed to provide the finishing touch as the scoreline read 0-0 at half-time.
In the end, it was Fred who found the breakthrough for Manchester United. The Brazilian midfielder found the back of the net with a stunning curler from outside of the box in the 77th minute of the game.
The Red Devils looked to double their lead for the rest of the match, but were unable to do so. Manchester United, though, held onto their one-goal lead and registered their first win under Ralf Rangnick's management.
Expressing his thoughts on the game, Ralf Rangnick expressed his delight at Manchester United's performance, especially in the first half. The German also explained that keeping a clean sheet was the most important part of the match. He said:
"I’m very happy with the game, especially the first half. We maintained a high level of intensity and the tempox was good. We defended well as a team throughout the game and had control, I’m very happy with that. The clean sheet is the most important part", Ralf Rangnick said in his post-match interview.
He further added:
"I said from the beginning in my very first press conference that there are things we need to improve on, which was to produce clean sheets and have control of the game. We did that today and what my team showed today was more than what I expected, if I’m being very honest."
Fred gives Manchester United and Ralf Rangnick win over Crystal Palace
Fred joined Manchester United from Shakhtar Donetsk for £52m in 2018. He has often been the subject of criticism during his time at Old Trafford. Many even blamed the Brazilian for the Red Devils' shortcomings under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season.
However, Fred seems to have had a new lease of life since the Norwegian tactician's departure last month. He provided two assists in Manchester United's 3-2 victory over Arsenal last week. He also impressed in the side's 2-0 win against Villarreal in the Champions League, effectively making United's first goal with his pressing.
Fred has now helped Manchester United to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in Ralf Rangnick's first game in charge of the club by scoring the winner.
Fred scores the first goal of the Ralf Rangnick era 🔴 https://t.co/DAFOqPoIft