Manchester United boss Rangnick says team didn’t have skill to play pressing game, blames ‘limitations’ for missing top 4
- Interim manager says he had to make compromises to playing style because of skills squad lacked
- German also accepts his role in failing to galvanise team after departure of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer
Outgoing Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick has blamed the club’s “limited” players and Cristiano Ronaldo’s inability to play the style of football he wanted for the team’s failure to finish in the top four this season.
Rangnick failed to galvanise an ailing United, who were sixth in the league and needed to beat Crystal Palace on Sunday to secure qualification for next season’s Europa League.
“I agree we never came near to that aggressive, proactive football. That has to do with physicality if we want to play like that,” the German, who will be replaced by Erik ten Hag in the summer, told reporters.
“If you think of Juergen Klopp’s first season at Liverpool they did not play that kind of football, it took them one and a half seasons. In the end they finished eighth.”
Ronaldo, who is United’s top-scorer this season with 24 goals across all competitions, has often being singled out for his lack of pressing and Rangnick said that forced him to make compromises to his playing style.
“Cristiano scored a few goals but, again, Cristiano - and I’m not blaming him at all, he did great in those games - but he’s not a pressing monster,” he said.