Rangnick will be ready for the chaotic pace of the
RALF Rangnick got a whirlwind introduction to the Premier League as he watched United beat Arsenal 3-2 at Old Trafford.
The 63-year-old watched on from the directors’ box before beginning work as the Reds’ interim manager until the end of the season this morning.
His first game in charge will be against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
It was a typically thrilling and chaotic Premier League fixture. Emile Smith Rowe gave Arsenal the lead in bizarre circumstances before United equalised through Bruno Fernandes.
Cristiano Ronaldo put the hosts ahead early in the second half only for Martin Odegaard to equalise immediately, but Ronaldo crashed in a penalty to seal the three points for
United. Diogo Dalot had a hand in his countryman’s first goal and would have impressed Rangnick in the stands.
The new boss has never coached outside of his native Germany before but the right-back - starting for the injured Aaron Wan-Bissaka – doesn’t think the chaotic nature of the Premier League will come as a surprise to him.
“I think he’s expecting that, but we’re going to have time to get to know him and him to know us, we start a new era,” he said.
The first goal would certainly have had Rangnick raising an eyebrow. David de Gea went down injured after Fred trod on his foot while defending a corner, but Smith Rowe fired a shot goalwards from the second ball and with the goalkeeper poleaxed, the ball sailed into the back of the net.
Referee Martin Atkinson considered stopping the game but didn’t blow his
whistle until the ball had hit the back of the net and after a discussion with VAR Andre Marriner, he awarded the goal.
Dalot revealed United’s players thought the whistle had gone before the ball went in, but praised the response of the team to the shock setback.
“Now in football you see everything every day, we were a bit confused, I think he blew the whistle before the ball went in which is why we were a bit confused,” he said.
“It was a fantastic reaction after that, that’s what matters, we kept our heads clean and at the end of the day we did a fantastic game. To do a reaction like we did after a goal like that does show the mentality we can have and we have to grab that and keep it going for the rest of the season. We’re playing at a fantastic club, we need that drive and mentality.”