Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick has admitted the club face a huge battle to finish in the top four after dropping points yet again at home to Southampton on Saturday – and said his side must show more ‘composure’.
United were held to a 1-1 draw against in-form Southampton at Old Trafford, the second time in a row they have been frustrated by such a result after dropping two points at Burnley – with Jadon Sancho’s opener cancelled out by Che Adams.
The Red Devils are currently fifth – out of the top four by goal difference below West Ham – but United’s rivals below them, including Arsenal, Tottenham and Wolves, have a number of games in hand over them.
Ralf Rangnick admits his Manchester United side are lacking ‘composure’ after their 1-1 draw at home to Southampton
The Red Devils dropped points yet again with their top four hopes hanging in the balance
Rangnick said his players were being punished for a lack of focus after surrendering a lead for a fourth time in six games and poured doubt on their top four hopes.
‘Yes, we know that (top four will be hard),’ he said after the game. It was the fourth game out of the last five or six where we were 1-0 or 2-0 up and didn’t get three points. So this is six points if you add on Aston Villa, Burnley and the game today, that would have been six points. It can happen, but not six points.
‘This is why we’re all very disappointed, but it doesn’t help. We have to look forward and do it better on Tuesday against Brighton.
‘Southampton played well, they played with the same intensity and tactical approach that they did against Tottenham, so this is not an easy team to play against.
Rangnick said United needed to show more focus after going ahead in games this season
‘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 said the message is being constantly drummed into his players and they must start to produce their best for the full 90 minutes.
He added: ‘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. This is what we told them, obviously.
But the German reserved praise for Jadon Sancho (L) after continuing his impressive form
‘But in the end it’s a different thing to perform like that on the pitch.’
On a plus note, Rangnick agreed Sancho is beginning to reproduce the form he showed with Borussia Dortmund.
Rangnick said: ‘With Jadon’s performance in the last couple of weeks, I’m very pleased. This is the Jadon Sancho I know from the Bundesliga.
‘There is still more space for improvement, but it’s the best Manchester United have seen of him so far.’
