Is Ronaldo thriving or failing under Rangnick at Man Utd?
FT Desk
- 15 Mar 2022 17:57 GMT
- 4 min read
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has no regrets about the way he has managed Cristiano Ronaldo since arriving at the club.
The German coach took over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in early December and much of the debate surrounding his appointment was based around whether Ronaldo would be able to fit into Rangnick’s style of football.
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Like Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, Rangnick likes to see his team’s play a high-paced, counter-pressing style of football, which doesn’t always work with older players like Ronaldo.
However, when asked about having Ronaldo in his team, the Man Utd boss believes he’s using his star forward correctly.
’Sometimes I have to take a player like Ronaldo off’
“His biggest asset is to score goals and he did that in style,” said Rangnick in an interview with BT Sport.
“Not everybody scores goals like that and it’s a major impact on the team. He showed in that game that he’s still a player that can make a difference.
“There would be no reason for him to be angry but if he was angry then it doesn’t matter. He can be angry all the time, as long as he plays on that kind of level.”
"My job as manager is to think about the team, and sometimes that means taking a player like Cristiano off"
Ralf Ragnick speaks on managing Ronaldo, the changes he's made at Man United and what it'll take to beat Atlético at Old Trafford 🔴
🎙 @TheDesKelly#UCL pic.twitter.com/VRIzp2Dv8w— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 15, 2022
He added: “My job as manager is to think about the team and what is best for the team. And therefore sometimes I have to make a decision to take a player like Cristiano Ronaldo off or to even not let him play for one game and give him a rest.
“It’s not quite natural for me but also for other coaches that he has had in his career. They probably saw things in a different way to how he sees it.”
Is Rangnick using Ronaldo properly?
While there’s no doubt that Rangnick is grinding out results at Man Utd, with just three defeats from his first 19 games in charge of the club, there are some serious question marks over Ronaldo’s performances under the German tacitican.
The Portugal international was undoubtedly incredible when he bagged a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, but even that tally doesn’t disguise the fact that Ronaldo’s goals have dried up under Rangnick.
For example, in 12 league games under the new Man Utd manager, Ronaldo has managed just five goals and a single assist. And, in comparison, prior to Rangnick’s arrival the senior forward had bagged seven goals and two assists in 12 games.
