"He feels stronger and more in control" - Gary Neville suggests Ralf Rangnick is beginning to grow in stature as Manchester United manager

Gary Neville believes Ralf Rangnick is commanding more respect in the Manchester United dressing room following two consecutive league wins in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have picked up some form lately following wins over Brentford and West Ham United. Marcus Rashford netted an injury-time winner to secure a 1-0 win. The result has left United in a much stronger position going into the international break.

Speaking on the Sky Sports podcast (via Metro), Gary Neville said the following about Ralf Rangnick's stature in the dressing room:

"They rode their luck against Brentford and yesterday you saw something happening. I think Ralf Rangnick comes out of this week stronger than he started. I think people are backing him. I think he feels stronger and more in control than he was two weeks ago."

Gary Neville also believes the late winner will boost Marcus Rashford's confidence going forward. Neville said:

"The goal in the last minute is a big one for the club and for the scorer. It was really important for Rashford. There were a lot of questions being asked of Marcus Rashford. I don’t think it’s fair when people say he’s distracted as soon as he has a difficult patch."

He added:

"That’s the easy thing to say. It’s easy to point to the off-field stuff. But it was a big thing for him. It brought him joy and that’s the most important thing for a footballer, passion and joy. You don’t have to walk around with a smile on your face but you want to see joy or passion or fire."

Marcus Rashford has had a slow start to the 2021-22 season. The England international made a late start to the campaign after recovering from a shoulder injury.

As things stand, the 24-year-old forward has scored five goals and provided only one assist in 17 matches across all competitions.

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Manchester United enter the Premier League top four for the first time since Ralf Rangnick's appointment

Manchester United currently find themselves inside the Premier League top four for the first time since the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. United are currently on 38 points from 22 matches.

Manchester United are currently a point clear of fifth-placed West Ham United heading into the international break.

However, both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are in pursuit of Manchester United to clinch the final Champions League berth. As things stand, both Spurs and Arsenal are two points behind Manchester United and have games in hand.

The Gunners have one game in hand while Tottenham have two games in hand over Ralf Rangnick's side.