Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick says his side was lacking ‘composure’ after Southampton draw 

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick was critical of his team’s performance in the 1-1 draw against Southampton in the Premier League, saying that his side was lacking composure.

United once again came out of a league fixture with a draw, letting slip a first-half lead to allow Saints to pull one back and come away from Old Trafford with a precious point. With this, United’s chances of a top-four finish were dealt a blow.

Rangnick lamented his side’s second-half performance, saying that the team needed to be aggressive and keep up their display in the first half all the way to the end of the game.

“We had an excellent half-hour, but in the end it’s about playing in that way for more than just one half. We told them exactly that, that we have to be aggressive, we have to stay compact, we shouldn’t give them any space.”

The result leaves United in fifth place, level on points with fourth-placed West Ham United. However, they run this risk of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur leapfrogging them into the Champions League spots in the table as the north London clubs have a couple of games in hand.

Successive draws

Rangnick will feel the pressure now, after overseeing the club through two successive 1-1 draws in the league. United seem to have trouble holding on to their leads, as well as solidifying the lead by scoring more goals.

The German said his side needed more composure, and the courage to make the right decisions to win their games convincingly and get better at it in the future.

“We lost a little bit of composure, we took again wrong decisions, sometimes under pressure, sometimes not under pressure. This is where we just have to get better.”

Rangnick would have been happy with his team’s first-half performance, going into the break with a goal and having created multiple chances. However, United immediately gave up their lead in the opening 5 minutes of the second half after allowing Southampton to sneak in Che Adams at the back to stroke the equaliser into the net.

It certainly seems to be a habit for the Red Devils, who just can’t seem to see out their games effectively and hold on to their leads. The last game against Burnley saw exactly the same result, with the Clarets coming back to draw the game after United took the lead in the first half.

More Manchester United News

• Manchester United trio of Nemanja Matic, Fred and Eric Bailly to miss Southampton clash
• Cristiano Ronaldo Jr officially joins the Manchester United academy
• Ralf Rangnick opens up on Manchester United squad being unhappy with his training sessions

In good news for Rangnick, Jadon Sancho seems to be getting back to his best after a tough start to the season. The Englishman started brightly and scored the opening goal for the home side after a sweeping attacking move that got the United crowd on their feet.

Rangnick will need to work hard with his players on how to close out a game, and secure the three points with ease. Next season’s Champions League spots are up for grabs, and United are doing themselves no favours by dropping points due to their own mistakes.