The Times - UK (2021-12-06)

Fred, Manchester United’s ungainly

midfielder, was an unlikely candidate

to launch a brave new era, rather like

asking Uncle Albert to launch a boat,

but he took his goal beautifully to

give Ralf Rangnick a winning start as

interim manager.

Fred usually divides opinion among

fans at Old Trafford but they were

united in singing his praises yesterday.

The Brazil player is a popular

character among team-mates and

staff for his work ethic and smiling

demeanour but some supporters

consider him symptomatic of a slide

in standards. He’s no Roy Keane or

even Nicky Butt.

Yet everyone can appreciate how

wholehearted Fred is and he was

heavily involved in one of the most

impressive features of Rangnick’s

debut, the intense pressing during the

first half-hour. He occasionally gave

away the ball but was tireless in

pursuit of possession and then clinical

when that chance came with 13

minutes remaining. Fred looks one of

the first picks in a Rangnick side.

Even after only one full training

session, Rangnick’s imprint was clear:

press hard and high and hit Cristiano

Ronaldo early. The German used a

4-2-2-2 system to support Ronaldo

and played Marcus Rashford

alongside him to do his running and

pressing. He selected Diogo Dalot

ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka. There

was even a short-corner routine that

almost paid off.

There were approving nods from

the United legends in the smart seats,

Denis Law, Sir Alex Ferguson and

Wayne Rooney. These are the men

who set the standards in previous

eras, and whose achievements every

new generation will be judged against.

Fred will never be likened to such

greats, not even players in the rung

HENRY

WINTER

Chief Football Writer

At Old Trafford

Fred presses start

61% 39 %

POSSESSION

3 2

SHOTS ON TARGET

16 9

FOULS

10

Fred 77

RATINGS

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): D de Gea 6 — D Dalot

8, V Lindelof 7, H Maguire 6, A Telles 7 —

S McTominay 6, Fred 7 — J Sancho 6

(M Greenwood 62min, 7), B Fernandes 6

(D van de Beek 86), M Rashford 7 (A Elanga 75, 6)

— C Ronaldo 6. Booked Lindelof, McTominay.

Crystal Palace (4-3-3): V Guaita 6 — N Clyne 5,

J Tomkins 7, M Guéhi 7, T Mitchell 7 — J Schlupp 7,

C Kouyaté 5 (E Eze 84), C Gallagher 6 — J Ayew 6

(M Olise 84), C Benteke 5 (O Édouard 66, 6),

W Zaha 8. Booked Guéhi, Clyne.

Referee C Pawson.

Man

United

Crystal

Palace

a far more vocal figure. When

Rangnick sat down briefly, Patrick

Vieira casually strolled into United’s

technical area. Vieira’s heat map

would have been extensive as the

Crystal Palace manager also

wandered down the touchline

towards the Stretford End, consumed

with engaging with his players.

Palace are confusing. They are

capable of winning in Manchester,

2-0 away to City. After a promising

start, Palace lie 13th, six points above

the relegation zone, and will beware

getting dragged in. Vieira’s side play

more progressive football than under

Roy Hodgson but he always kept

them up.

In fairness to Vieira, his absentees

were felt sorely. Joachim Andersen

was missed at the back, and especially

his ability to start attacks. James

McArthur was another Palace player

struggling with a thigh injury and his

energy and leadership were lacking in

midfield. Joel Ward’s suspension for a

Brazilian Fred has divided

opinion among United fans

below, but he scored a vital goal here,

and did it in style. Dalot drilled in a

low ball and Mason Greenwood

collected, showing his ease with either

foot, turning and laying a measured

left-footed ball back to the edge of the

area. Fred was running in, meeting

Greenwood’s excellent pass firmly

with his right foot, placing it between

Cheikhou Kouyaté and Jeffrey

Schlupp and curling beyond Vicente

Guaita’s reach and in.

Rangnick applauded the goal as

Fred wheeled away in jubilation,

sliding towards the corner flag, taking

the crowd’s applause as surprise was

quickly replaced by jubilation. Down

the other end, David de Gea turned

towards the United fans and

punched the air repeatedly.

It was the high point of a fairly

average match. But certain things can

be ascertained. Rashford

already looks an important

player for Rangnick. The

England forward was

heavily involved, winning

the free kick down the

inside-left channel from

which Ronaldo fired

over.

Rashford then appeared on

the right, creating another

opportunity. He pressed

Nathaniel Clyne, then Tyrick

Mitchell, then Guaita.

Rangnick had spoken of his

admiration for United’s

young English talent and

how they could develop

even further. Rashford,

Greenwood and Jadon

THE MATCH IN A GRAPHIC

Statisticians Opta show who was on top throughout game

Attacking threat

0 mins 15 30 45 45 60 75 90

Man Utd more threatening

Crystal Palace more threatening

First half Second half

Goal ‘77

Sancho should train on under

him.

Sancho began on the right

but was often tucking inside,

even switching with the left-

sided Bruno Fernandes.

United dominated

possession in a promising

first half, their players

linking effortlessly. The

fans were up for the new

era and Scott

McTominay hardly

needed to gesture for

more noise. McTominay and

Fred then closed down Conor

Gallagher like a storm cloud,

almost blocking out the milky

lunchtime sun.

Rangnick was largely

undemonstrative, standing on

the edge of his technical area,

hands often in pocket,

observing events. He was

occasionally joined by Darren

Fletcher, the technical director,

WEEKEND

AT A

GLANCE

GOALS

V 3 from midweek

(one match to play)

24

CARDS

36

U 2 up from

midweek

0

V 1 from

midweek

POSSESSION

77% Manchester City

Highest possession

23%

Lowest possession

Watford

2 1GG Monday December 6 2021 | the times

Germany calling

6

Manchester

United’s Ralph

Rangnick

yesterday

became the

sixth German

to manage in

the Premier

League and

the first

German to

win his first

game in

charge in the

competition.

Felix Magath,

Jürgen Klopp,

Jan Siewert,

Daniel Farke

and Thomas

Tuchel had all

failed to do so

before him.

Unselfish Son

19

Number of

times that

Tottenham

Hotspur’s Son

Heung-min

has both

scored (1) and

assisted (1) in

a Premier

League match

after doing so

against

Norwich City

at home

yesterday.

Since 2015-16,

only

Mohamed

Salah (22) has

done so more

often.

The great leveller

This season, three Premier

League games have ended 1-1

with the away side equalising

after the 88th minute — all

three goals were scored by Neal

Maupay for Brighton & Hove

Albion, the last one coming

against Southampton on

Saturday.

Brighton have now drawn

eight of their past ten Premier

League games; Manchester City

drew just eight out of 114 from

August 2017 to September

2020.

Maupay, centre, has scored

three late equalisers this term