“That is a big problem” – Robbie Savage explains why Manchester United could ‘struggle’ trying to implement Rangnick’s style of play
Former Wales midfielder has explained why he thinks Manchester United could continue to struggle under interim manager Ralf Rangnick for the rest of the campaign.
Speaking on BT Sport, Michael Owen, Robbie Savage and Rio Ferdinand discussed the race for the top 4 in the Premier League this season. All the experts thought that Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea would finish in the top 3, in that order.
While both Ferdinand and Savage thinks Manchester United will finish fourth, Owen opined that Tottenham Hotspur under Antonio Conte could pip Arsenal and United. Ferdinand said that the Red Devils could win the race simply because of their attacking quality and the inconsistency of the clubs involved in the race.
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Savage said that Cristiano Ronaldo's presence could help the club claim fourth spot. However, he said that the team is bound to struggle because Rangnick wants to play a high defensive line:
"Where I think they'll struggle is with playing a high line like Liverpool. I don't think Manchester United can play a high line and win the ball high and press higher up because they're scared of the pace in behind."
He added:
"That is a big problem for Manchester United. If they want to implement (interim manager Ralf) Rangnick's style of pressing high and winning the ball in the final third, I think United might struggle."
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If recent weeks are anything to go by, United seem to be the most unsettled of the clubs involved in the top-four race in the Premier League. They do not have a permanent manager, have multiple players looking to leave in the summer, and then there's the Mason Greenwood controversy.
Nevertheless, the club has a host of stars who can steer the team to fourth spot. Paul Pogba scored his first goal since his return against Burnley, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford are likely to find form in the coming weeks.
Jadon Sancho has improved weekly, and Bruno Fernandes has also looked very sharp recently. There are defensive issues to solve and the lack of defensive resilience in midfield means the team is bound to struggle in playing a high line, though.
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Harry Maguire's continued struggles mean the club could look to sign a centre-back in the summer, while a central defensive midfielder is also an obvious requirement.
United should still be able to finish fourth in the league come the end of the season. However, they'll need to be consistent, and capitalise on the lapses of the other clubs in the top-four race.