In a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s game with Brighton, referring to the 18th round of the Premier League, Manchester United’s interim coach, Ralf Rangnick, lamented the lost points in the recent series of three consecutive draws to a ball.
«It was very sad that we didn’t win the last three games, it cost us four points in the league and the passage to the next phase of the FA Cup. I look at all the goals we conceded in the second half, they were very easy and happened because of our mistakes», analyzed the German.
The coach also admitted that he had already spoken with the club’s psychologist, Sascha Lense, who arrived at Old Trafford by Rangnick’s hand: “Of course I’ve talked to him about this and we talk about it regularly. The only thing we can do is talk to the players, one by one, with the group and the whole team and try to understand why we conceded the goal and what we should do afterwards to score the second and third goals. I’ve already said, and this is pretty obvious, that if we’ve only won half of the last 11 or 13 games and if we’re winning 1-0 in three consecutive games and conceding draws, it affects the players’ minds. They say we should be winning 3-0 or 4-0 and suddenly we’re tied 1-1. Of course this affects the mindset of the players. They are human beings, not robots.”
Much criticized in recent meetings has been the central Harry Maguire, team captain, signed in 2019/20 for 87 million euros from Leicester, going through a less positive moment in form, however Ralf Rangnick assured that he had no intentions of taking the title to the England international: “I think after the injury he did extremely well [e] had a very good performance against West Ham. In the last two games, they had some weak moments, both against Southampton and when we conceded the goal against Burnley. But he is our captain and I see no reason to change that. He is a player who needs to evolve and improve, like everyone else. »
The coach also explained that the team has changed the way it plays and Maguire is adapting: “The way we are playing now, with a four-point line, is new to him, because in the English national team he is used to playing in a line of four three. He’s not being as proactive with this type of defense when we’re trying to defend higher ups in the field. It’s something new for him and it’s going to take some time to adjust.”
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