KEY POINTS

  • Ralf Rangnick names wingbacks Scott McTominay and Fred as ideal players for his system
  • Both were heavily criticized during their time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
  • The two redeemed themselves by putting on a solid performance against Crystal Palace

Recently-appointed Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick claims that heavily criticized midfielders Scott McTominay and Fred are absolutely perfect for his high-pressure system.

Rangnick was asked in the post-match interview about who stood out to him in his first match as Red Devils manager against Crystal Palace on Sunday, December 5 and he quickly applauded McTominay and Fred for their work rate and fit for his vaunted 4-2-2-2 system.

“Scotty [McTominay] and Fred are almost perfect defensively on that. There were one or two or three mistakes, in the first half, two square passes, one from Scott and one from Fred, I don't like that kind of balls in midfield from those positions. Overall, as I said, [with] the other team in possession of the ball, Fred and Scott are almost perfect,” Rangnick glowingly remarked as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.

Both McTominay and Fred played crucial roles in their 1-0 victory over the 12th-placed Crystal Palace squad as Manchester United sought to put its foot on the gas as soon as the opening whistle blew.

They had the strongest first half of their entire season, per Twitter user Statman Dave, thanks to a measured but all-out attacking mentality.

Manchester United created multiple scoring opportunities in the first half but failed to score a goal until the 77th minute, where the left-footed Fred floated in the ball from outside the box with his right foot that set Old Trafford and social media ablaze.

McTominay and Fred were regular starters under the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer regime, but the pair looked completely out of place. The latter was mainly used as an extra defender, while the former was rarely encouraged to leave his area.

Upon Solskjaer’s resignation, interim caretaker Michael Carrick decided to give the two midfielders more roles on the field and their potential finally became apparent.

Rangnick took Carrick’s tactics a step further and emboldened the Englishman and Brazilian to play more aggressively, which eventually led to Fred’s goal.

For as good as their performance was, the Red Devils lacked the stamina to completely commit to the high-pressing tactics instituted by Rangnick and it is something that the legendary German manager will try to improve upon as the season progresses.

Rangnick will surely be experimenting with his personnel and tactics when they face Young Boys on Wednesday, December 8 before moving on to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.

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