Ralf Rangnick points out qualities Manchester United players lacked in Norwich City victory

Speaking in his post-match press conference, as quoted by Manchester Evening News, Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick wished that his players had shown more intensity in the victory against Norwich City.

The Red Devils continued their fine form under new management on Saturday night. Carrow Road was never going to be an easy place to visit, and it showed from the first minute. The hosts were pressing high up the pitch and did not give our players a moment’s rest on the ball.

There were always half chances, but our front four of Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and Cristiano Ronaldo could conjure very little. Eventually, Ronaldo tucked in a penalty after he was brought down in the box 15 minutes from time.

Regardless, it was not a great showing from our attacking force, evidenced by the substitutions of Sancho and Fernandes. Not to mention, it took a penalty to defeat the 20th-placed side in the league. Rangnick explained after the game about the lack of intensity from his forward players.

“It was a completely different game compared to last Sunday…The body language, intensity, aggressiveness, especially in our offensive department–and by that, I don’t only mean the strikers but also the two number 10s. we didn’t play on the same kind of intensity level as we did against Crystal Palace.

“It’s a question how we deal with this kind of football… I would have wished we had more intensity, more physicality, more willingness to win one-on-one duels.”

Results more important than performances

The front four were pressing high up the pitch against Norwich, and the midfield did incredibly well in winning the ball back. However, we failed to use it effectively in the final third.

But three points shall go a long way, especially on a day when we were wasteful going forward. Rangnick named an unchanged league XI for the third time in a row, and this team is really coming together in terms of chemistry and having an identity. 

Moreover, the defence is also finding its feet as they are managing games now rather than the chaotic end-to-end action that we saw under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. It will take some time for the players to completely adjust to the new system, courtesy of which the results are more important than the performances.

More Manchester United News

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• Ralf Rangnick gives ultimatum to Paul Pogba over his contract at Manchester United
• Some fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo scores the penalty to give Manchester United the 1-0 win over Norwich City

The former RB Leipzig boss is building something special at Old Trafford, and one can properly judge this side after a month or so. For now, we could relish the fact that the victory put us on par with West Ham on points, and we could secure a 4th-place spot before the end of the year.