Ralf Rangnick praised his Manchester
United players for the character they
displayed at Elland Road.
At the end of a week in which
further speculation has emerged
about the harmony in the United
dressing room, it was an impressive
reaction from Rangnick’s players.
Having thrown away a two-goal
lead, United responded with the final
two goals of the game and picked up
three points to bolster their aim of a
top-four finish.
Rangnick said that the performance
put to rest suggestions of disharmony
in his ranks. “We knew it was an
important win today, similar to the
one against West Ham, similar
emotion at the end with a last-second
goal,” he said. “Today it was more
important not only that we won but
the way we reacted after conceding
the equaliser, that was the best
possible answer the team could give.
“It was perfect in regard to maturity
and unity and the best reply they
could give to [rumours that] there was
disruption in the locker room.
“A game like this one today, you
can only win as a team and [with]
the mentality of a team. Apart from
the three points, this was the most
important thing for me.”
The first game between these rivals
to be played in front of supporters in
19 years generated a predictably
hostile atmosphere. Rangnick
admitted before the game that he had
not been aware of the rivalry until his
coaching staff told him last week.
And when Bruno Fernandes was
dispossessed by a crushing AdamForshaw tackle in the build-up to the
Leeds equaliser, the United interim
manager admitted that he learnt
something else about the English
game. “As I said, we showed maturity,
we were rising our level of aggression
towards what we had to play here in
this atmosphere,” he said.
“For me as somebody coming
from Germany there were quite
a few tackles that in Germany
there would’ve been no discussion
whatsoever. I spoke to the referee
about that tackle on Bruno before
they scored the equaliser and I said,
‘Listen, in Germany, they wouldn’t
have even asked VAR,’ and the referee
said to me, quite funnily, ‘Listen, this
is probably why you had to come to
England!’
“We showed character and this was
important after the results yesterday.
We had to win the game and I hope
that not only the win but the way we
achieved it will give us additional
energy for the upcoming games.”
Rangnick threw on the substitutes
Fred and Anthony Elanga at 2-2, and
saw both score. “I didn’t bring them
on to score goals, it was about getting
more energy to the team again and
play in a similar style to we played in
the first half,” Rangnick said.
Defeat leaves Leeds in the thick of
the relegation picture, after a run of
seven losses in their past ten league
games, and although their head
coach, Marcelo Bielsa, was impressed
with his team’s fighting spirit in
clawing back to 2-2, he admitted that
spirit alone may not be enough.
“To fight is a starting point, but it is
not the only thing,” he said.
Can United end the Simeone era?
Ian Hawkey, page 16‘A perfect response to
locker room rumours’
IAN WHITTELLa deserved second five minutes into
time added on for Koch’s running
repairs. Maguire started it, heading
the ball right to Lindelof, who
embarked on a long run, exchanging
passes with Sancho, who eventually
dinked in a cross that Fernandes
headed past Meslier.
Bielsa had to respond and Gelhardt
came on to lead the line, with
Raphinha to stretch the opposition.
Leeds were galvanised, storming
towards Maguire and company. This
was the Bielsa way, pure energy, all-
out attack, and the players responding
to the urgency spilling from the homestands. They were also playing with
the wind and, it felt, the tide.
And then came an extraordinary
59 seconds during which Leeds drew
level. Rodrigo, taking a pass from
Firpo on the left after 53 minutes,
looked up to see who was running
into the box. He was clearly intending
a cross but his delivery drifted over
De Gea and in at the far post. As
goals go, this was wind-assisted. Leeds
simply tore into their
loathed guests again, Adam
Forshaw leaping in and
easing the ball away from
Fernandes. The Portuguese
collapsed to the floor, as if
fouled. Tierney rightly
waved play on, Daniel
James eluded Jesse Lingard
and Wan-Bissaka and
crossed for the sliding
Raphinha to equalise.
Elland Road was now
in tumult, but Maguire
steadied his team, and
Rangnick made some
changes, sending on Fred
and Elanga for Pogba and
Lingard. Pogba had been
playing well, yet Fred had
a swift impact. Ronaldo,
Fred and Sancho all
combined, taking the ball
from right to left, before Sancho
sent Fred in from a tight angle. The
Brazilian drove the ball between
Meslier and his right-hand upright.
Sadly, more objects were thrown.
A couple of stewards ran on, one
slipping, to guide the jubilant players
out of the firing line.
McTominay continued to make a
mockery of refereeing consistency,
fouling Gelhardt, and finally getting
booked, and then catching Firpo, but
somehow staying on. This, though,
was to be his team’s day, as Elanga
sealed the points, sliding the ball
under Meslier.
There was still time for another
flare-up, of course, before the final
whistle. And Maguire smiled again.the inevitable feisty welcome,
running the gamut of eloquence,
from a simple “Yorkshire” to “scum”.
Ronaldo received a particularly
unpleasant serenade.
Manchester United took it in their
stride. McTominay was too fired up,
though, and could easily have gone in
the first half after flying in and
catching Jack Harrison, then
smashing Robin Koch in the knee and
in the head. Such was the blood and
mud splattered across
Koch’s shirt and shorts that
he needed a wardrobe
change as well as a
bandage around his head.
On it went, ancient
enmity writ large. Aaron
Wan-Bissaka took a throw-
in with Leeds fans in the
Jack Charlton Stand leaning
over the hoardings, giving
him all manner of choice
thoughts. Koch then
dropped to the sodden turf,
indicating that he could not
continue, although Leeds
confirmed it was not a
concussion issue. Firpo came
on at left back, Ayling went
to centre back, Stuart Dallas
went right and Struijk pushed
into midfield.
The defensive rejigging
was soon exposed. When
Fernandes’s strike was pushed away
by Illan Meslier after 34 minutes,
Harrison conceded a corner under
pressure from Ronaldo. Luke Shaw
curled the ball over and Maguire
simply wanted it more than Llorente,
heading powerfully in. One of the
themes of the afternoon, the amount
of unpunished wrestling at set pieces,
was seen as Ayling pulled over Pogba.
Maguire, celebrating his team’s first
goal from a corner this season, slid on
his knees towards the Leeds fans, and
received a few objects in return.
The grappling continued, Pogba
and Maguire both dragged over at a
corner, but Manchester United added
ANOTHER DAY OF SHAME
A steward positions himself bravely
between the crowd and the Manchester
United players after Anthony Elanga
was struck by an object thrown from
the stands as he and his team-mates
celebrated their third goal, scored
by Fred. It was not the only incident
on a day when the behaviour of fans
again came under the spotlight.the times | Monday February 21 2022 2GG 3
thegame
Maguire heads
United in front
before Leeds
stormed back
at a hostile
Elland RoadFinally...
307
daysAfter
170
cornersUnited finally
score from
one as Harry
Maguire heads
home Luke
Shaw’s deliveryRUSSELL CHEYNE/REUTERS