The Manchester United coach tried a new lineup in the midweek victory over Burnley, which sparked discussions about the position of B Fee and Rashford in the team.
Rangnick has only led Manchester United in 4 league games, and everyone is waiting patiently for his tactical system to work.
The three-stage match against the relegated team seemed to be the best opportunity for the German coach to imprint the team. However, apart from the first 25 minutes against Crystal Palace, Rangnick’s start was not as dreamy as many people imagined.
Manchester United’s performance against Norwich and Newcastle needs to be improved. Although their performance against Burnley is far from perfect, it is an improvement. It is undeniable that they have taken a step in the right direction.
“In terms of offense, this is the best performance so far,” Rangnick told reporters. “The performance of the entire team is much better. I am very satisfied with the performance of our winger. Sancho performed well.”
This is not only his best offensive performance for Manchester United since coaching last month, but also their best performance of the season.
Manchester United attempted a total of 18 shots and hit the target 6 times-a significant improvement over their average for the 2021-22 season (13.7 shots; 4.9 shots on target).
For those players who started in this game, this is an encouraging number, but for those who have not started, what does this obvious improvement mean?
The two most notable absentees are Bruno Fernandez and Rashford.
B Fee received his fifth yellow card of the season in the draw with Newcastle and was therefore suspended for one game, but in fact, considering B Fee’s recent performance, even if he did not suspend the game, Rangnick arranged a substitute. , This is not too much.
Since B Fei came to Manchester United two years ago, he has set a high standard for himself, but he has been out of form this season.
After 18 league games last season, he has 11 goals and 7 assists. At the same stage this year, he only scored 5 goals and 3 assists.
Overall, his performance is not as good as before. His average number of passes per league game has dropped from 57 last season to 51 this season.
In the game against Newcastle, he also ranked first in the number of lost possessions, followed by Rashford.
In that game, the front four of Rangnick’s 4-2-2 formation simply did not match. Is this because B Fee is required to play in a position that is not his best?
In the past two years, he has been the number 10 player of Manchester United, playing a central role in the organization. He is not a wide player, but this is exactly the role he was asked to play in the 4-2-2 and 4-2-4 formations.
B Fee was chasing the ball aimlessly at St. James’s Park. He was suspended in the match against Burnley.
In fact, Fernandez is one of the “complainers” mentioned by former Manchester United defender Gary Neville in his analysis of the Sky Sports game.
In the absence of B fees, Rangnick is obviously struggling to employ personnel, but people can’t help but ask whether the team’s outstanding performance against Burnley will make the coach think whether he can really fit a 10 in his preferred lineup. Player.
The German pointed out: “This is the right player in the right position. For me, the important thing is to keep every player in his best position. That’s why we decided to let Sancho play on the left, Green Wood played on the right, with the two forwards in front.”
Sancho and Greenwood increased the width of the offense, and the linkage with Cavani and Ronaldo also caused trouble for their opponents. So, what does this make Rashford do?
The England national script season’s performance is not bad, but his state after returning from a long-term injury recuperation has been disappointing.
He played 10 times in the Premier League and only scored two goals. The average number of passes per game dropped from 32 to 20, and he only had one assist. Of course there is room for improvement.
The good news for Rashford is that Rangnick has admitted that he cannot use Cavani and Ronaldo in every game.
Therefore, Rashford’s opportunities will come, and whether he can seize these opportunities is up to him.
The same is true for B Fee, who will undoubtedly start against Wolves.
Manchester United still needs to improve their defense performance, but if Rangnick believes that he has now found the right formula from an offensive perspective, then both Rashford and B Fee need to improve their game level to avoid becoming Rangnick after taking office. The first victims.