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The Ralf Rangnick interregnum at Manchester United began in ideal fashion Sunday, a stunning late strike by Fred earning the interim manager victory over Crystal Palace in his first match in charge at Old Trafford.
With 76 minutes on the clock, Rangnick seemed destined for a frustrating start to life in the Premier League. His side had looked more energetic than those of his predecessors but struggled to break down an obdurate Palace backline until space opened up for Fred on the edge of the area. The Brazilian is hardly known for his finishing expertise but he delivered an effort worthy of Cristiano Ronaldo or Bruno Fernandes, the ball bending gloriously into the far post to gift the new manager a perfect start.
It was a curious start to life with Rangnick. This was startlingly similar to an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer game, the cracks of a slightly underwhelming system papered over by a moment of remarkable individual quality from one of the cadre of $50 million-plus superstars. Yet this was far less predictable than that might sound, not just because of the unusual shape of the match winner. United’s forwards were as impressive as any players on the pitch but for once it was their work without the ball at their feet that defined the day.
The work of one training session under the pressing guru was immediately apparent. Every backward pass made by Palace would serve as the trigger for the United phalanx to dart forward. Crucially they did so in unison, including Cristiano Ronaldo. The No. 7 may have given the impression of a reluctant out of possession worker in recent years but for Rangnick he was chasing the ball with the intensity of a man half his 36 years.
The sight of Ronaldo pressing certainly seemed to have Palace discombobulated but Scott McTominay wasted an early chance to exert pressure on the opposition goal. United did at least ensure that most of the game was spent in the places…
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Source : cbssports
