Ralf Rangnick has revealed his annoyance with some of Manchester United’s approach against Young Boys, with the players ignoring his instructions to play direct football.
United had already secured a place in the last 16 of the Champions League as group winners and Rangnick chose to name a rotated team at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The Red devils took the lead early on through Mason Greenwood but gifted possession to the visitors on the edge of their own box just before the break, with Fabian Rieder curling in a superb effort to secure a draw.
The German manager was far from happy with the play that preceded the equaliser, feeling that his team played too many short, conservative passes that invited pressure despite being instructed to play expansive, direct passes up the pitch.
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Rangnick said: ‘What was really a little bit annoying was the way that we also gave the goal away, because we played too many balls into the first line of their pressing area.
‘And this was also the case with the goal that we conceded. We could have cleared the ball easily and whenever we played the ball into the second or third line, we were always dangerous.
‘I told them that before the game but they still played in that situation the ball a five-metre pass and [Young Boys] were just waiting for that ball. It was more or less a pressing invitation that we sent.’
He added: ‘I was fully aware before the game that with this team that we played today, we haven’t played together as team. The first half hour we did quite okay.
‘We had a few unforced errors but had control of the game. We should have been 2-0 or 3-0 up. We had some great opportunities but we didn’t score. We were a bit sloppy with those situations.
‘After we conceded the equaliser we were not defending high enough or pro-active enough. If in the end, the score would have been 4-4, then nobody could have complained.
‘There were quite a few debuts and game time for players who desperately need game time. I wouldn’t say I was happy but it was okay.’
