Krishnan Sreekumar
Ralf Rangnick blasts misfiring Manchester United forwards after drab Watford draw
Speaking after his side’s 0-0 draw against Watford last night (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick was critical of his attackers for failing to find the back of the net against a side that was battling relegation.
Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Anthony Elanga were all guilty of missing golden opportunities to fire the side ahead, as the Red Devils slumped to a drab draw at home once again. It echoed the team’s performance against Southampton and Burnley this month, as the Manchester club struggled in front of the net to get all three points in the league.
Rangnick blasted his stars for missing so many chances, saying they needed to be sharper in the opposition box and put away their chances to ensure that the team won.
“But the number of chances we had, they have to be enough to win the game. We need to be sharper in front of goal. If you miss that many, it’s difficult to win.”
The result left Man United in fourth place, only two points ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal, who now have three games in hand to make up the deficit. The Gunners could seriously threaten our hopes of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
“Ask ourselves why”
Ronaldo hit the post in the first half, while Fernandes was guilty of failing to put away a one on one chance against the Watford keeper. Elanga then could have wrapped things up for his side in the second half after a brilliant team move, but the teenager fired wide and did not even hit the target.
Rangnick said that as a coach, he could only help the team create chances against the opposition, but it was up to the forwards to finish it off and ensure a win. The team had multiple chances against Watford, but shots on target were far and few against the Hornets.
“Our job as coaches is to help the team to create enough chances. If we’d only had two or three against Watford, we could ask ourselves why.”
The Red Devils struggling in front of goal is not news for anyone watching their games, despite boasting of world-class forwards upfront. Ronaldo and Fernandes are known for their goalscoring exploits, but the Portuguese duo were disappointing to watch.
Elanga, who was Man United’s hero midweek against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, could not recreate the magic last night as he too failed to finish his chances after being put through on goal. The Swede was bright throughout the game, but could not apply the finishing touches.
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Rangnick is right in saying that he could not do more than help the team create chances, as it is up to the players to take their chances and score. The players have disappointed themselves, as Man United had numerous chances to kill the game and tighten their grip on the fourth spot.
Next week sees the team visit the Etihad Stadium to face off against Manchester City, in a real test to both our attack and defence. The players will need to shake off this draw and get back to their best against City, else it may be all over for their UCL hopes next season.
