Varun Pai
Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick praises Cristiano Ronaldo for his off-the-ball work vs Crystal Palace
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day (h/t The Metro), Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick reserved special praise for Cristiano Ronaldo for his off-the-ball work against Crystal Palace.
There were a lot of questions going into the era of Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford. Ronaldo has thundered in the goals this season but has not been all that useful without the ball. But since the club announced that the German was going to be hired, the Portuguese superstar has been pressing from the front.
He did it against Arsenal and nabbed two goals, including the winner. But Rangnick was only in the stands then. The former RB Leipzig boss got a closer view of the superstar’s performance this weekend as Man United beat Crystal Palace 1-0.
Ronaldo worked hard off-the-ball, and the gaffer was quick to complement it after the game. He told BBC’s Match of the Day (h/t The Metro):
‘We wanted to play with two strikers, especially in the central position. By the way, Cristiano Ronaldo’s work off the ball, chapeau!’
The 63-year-old also lauded his entire team’s performance, especially in the first half an hour of the game.
‘I am very happy with the way the team performed, especially the first half-hour, with the pressing, it was exceptional. The only thing missing was the 1-0 or 2-0. The way we defended, we had control of the whole game, the clean sheet was the most important part.’
Exciting times ahead
There was always going to be a lift after the appointment of a new manager. A victory was expected in all honesty, with our opponents being an out-of-form Crystal Palace. Rangnick, however, is a demanding manager, courtesy of which it takes a lot to impress a man of his stature.
But our boys made him proud by closing down the spaces and winning the ball high up the pitch. They understood the job at hand and executed the tactics to a peach. After a long time, Man United had control of the ball and were dominating it by playing attractive football.
It often takes a few weeks for a manager to stamp his authority. However, Rangnick is no simpleton, and he has a terrific squad at hand, not to mention arguably the best player in the world. Ronaldo, hopefully, continues to grow under the new boss and squash any claims that state him being a liability off the ball.
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We are still in the race for the Top 4 and have sealed qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Nothing can be ruled out, but there are exciting times ahead for the supporters, and the Theatre of Dreams should brace itself for a new era under the ex-Lokomotiv Moscow chief.
