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Ralf Rangnick took charge of Manchester United for the first time as the Red Devils hosted Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
The former RB Leipzig manager may have only been appointed as Manchester United’s interim manager, but he seems to have some big plans for the English giants.
On Premier League matchday 15, Crystal Palace experienced Rangnick’s flavor of relentless pressing football and eventually succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford.
Manchester United lined up in a 4-2-2-2 formation and put pressure on practically everything that moved. Rangnick’s pressing rocked Crystal Palace in the first half, keeping them from creating clear-cut opportunities.
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Jordan Ayew had the best opportunity of the match to hit the back of the net in the second half. Unfortunately for the visitors, he dragged his shot well wide of the target.
Rejuvenated by Palace’s blunder, Manchester United scored the winner just minutes later, with Fred curling the ball home from the edge of the box. Thanks to the Brazilian, Rangnick’s Manchester United era got off to a winning start, propelling United to sixth position in the Premier League.
Here are the five top performers for Manchester United in their slender Premier League win over Crystal Palace:
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo
These days, everyone considers Cristiano Ronaldo to be an out-and-out goalscorer. On Sunday, he proved that he can still bring a couple more traits to the table.
Ronaldo contributed to Manchester United’s pressing play and even dropped deep to help out at the back when needed. Against Crystal Palace, the Manchester United number 7 completed three clearances, impressing his new boss.
In the first half, Ronaldo was at the heart of every encouraging piece of play and tried to keep the Palace players guessing. Unfortunately, only one of his five attempts was on target, while two were blocked by the opposition.
#4 Mason Greenwood
Manchester United golden boy Mason Greenwood was left on the bench against Crystal Palace on Sunday. But when Jadon Sancho struggled to influence the game, Greenwood came on as the most obvious substitute.
Greenwood did not do anything groundbreaking during his 30-minute stint, but his presence of mind did wonders for Fred’s goal.
Despite being under pressure from several Palace defenders, Greenwood had the composure to find Fred outside the D. The Brazilian’s weak foot took care of the rest.
#3 Diogo Dalot
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick picked Diogo Dalot ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the game against Crystal Palace. The Portuguese paid off his coach’s faith with a rock-solid performance, acting competently in both halves of the pitch.
In the 24th minute, Dalot put a dangerous, low cross into the Palace box, only missing Cristiano Ronaldo’s head by a whisker. Encouraged by the chance he created, the 22-year-old kept bombarding down the right-hand channel and came close to scoring in first-half stoppage-time.
Dalot somehow regained control after Wilfried Zaha and Tyrick Mitchell’s tackles and kept charging ahead. After a quick one-two with Scott McTominay, Dalot went for goal and only missed the far-top corner by a few inches.
#2 Alex Telles
Alex Telles has been in and out of the Manchester United team since joining from Porto in 2020. On Sunday, newly-appointed interim manager Ralf Rangnick gave him an assuring nod against Crystal Palace, and it paid off handsomely.
Deployed as a left-back, Telles put in a tireless shift, contributing to the team’s build-up every chance he got. He completed two crosses, four long balls and one key pass, keeping the Palace defenders on their toes.
He was solid as ever at the back as well. The Brazilian won 10 duels and attempted seven tackles against Palace.
Telles also came agonizingly close to hitting the back of the net from a free-kick just past the hour mark. His excellent free-kick unfortunately hit the top of the Crystal Palace crossbar, keeping Manchester United from taking the lead.
#1 Fred
Manchester United midfielder Fred has been criticized relentlessly by fans over the course of the season. His movement has looked haphazard, passing has often been wayward, and his midfield presence has not been convincing against capable opposition.
On Sunday, however, Fred took a step in the right direction, putting in a convincing performance for the Red Devils.
Fred primarily operated down the left channel of the midfield and combined well with Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo. He completed 60 passes, made one key pass and managed to keep five of his six long balls on target.
Fred also won 10 duels in the match and attempted seven tackles.
The Brazilian topped off his overall convincing outing with a sweet strike in the 77th minute. Having received the ball from Mason Greenwood on the edge of the area, Fred curled the ball over Vincente Guaita and into the far-top corner.
His strike extended Manchester United’s unbeaten streak to four games across all competitions, hinting at a much-needed turnaround for the Old Trafford unit.
