The manager of Manchester United, Ralf Rangnick has stressed that his team is not about the partnership between Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.
The two players are arguably the most consistent members of coach Ralf Rangnick’s squad. The two pair who are also teammates in Portugal national team have played in virtually all the league games this season.
Ralf Rangnick was forced to leave out Bruno Fernandes in the Manchester United league game against Burnley on Thursday, December 30, 2021. He had to serve a one-match suspension for receiving five yellow cards this season.
In his absence, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 14th goal of the season and Manchester United beat Burnley 3-1 to continue their push for a top-four finish.
In the game, the focus shifted from Ronaldo and Fernandes’ combination to Edison Cavani and Ronaldo’s combination which ended up being more efficient than in previous games
Ralf Rangnick used the game as a yardstick to prove that his team at Old Trafford is not structured around the partnership between the two Portuguese footballers.
Ahead of the club’s Premier League game against Wolves scheduled to kick off at 18:30 on January 3, the German tactician told Sky Sports that his team did well against Burnley without Fernandes.
He insisted that he and his coaching crew at the club are trying to always ensure that all the footballers at the club play in their best possible positions in every formation the club decide to adopt.
The coach said: “Against Burnley, we had to play without Bruno and again we did well, we played with two strikers, two wingers, two No 6s, every player in his best possible position.
“This is another thing we are trying to achieve, no matter which formation we are trying to play we have every player in his best possible position. So it is not only about the partnership between Cristiano and Bruno, it is about partnerships between other players.
“Yesterday (Thursday) it was about a partnership between Edinson [Cavani] and Cristiano and it worked well. Edinson was the player with the highest distance in the whole team.
“Since we will change the team and starting line-up every game it is about different partnerships and developing the whole team, and they should play with the same mindset and principles when we have the ball or when the other team is in possession.”
🗣 “It’s not only about the partnership between Cristiano and Bruno, it’s about partnerships between other players.”
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) December 31, 2021
Ralf Rangnick doesn’t want the focus to only be on the performances of Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes pic.twitter.com/KISfAORAkY
Manchester United are currently sitting on the 6th spot on the league table with 31 points in 18 games, 4 points below 4th placed Arsenal with a game in hand.
Since Rangnick became the interim coach of Manchester United, the club has not recorded any defeat. The worst result the team has recorded under the German coach is a 1-1 draw with struggling Newcastle United.
Since the arrival of the German coach, Manchester United have recorded 5 defeats in the league which was the major reason his predecessor, Ole Gunnar Solskjær was sacked two months ago.
Rangnick’s mission is to help Manchester United finish in the top four and probably help the club win one or two titles including the Champions League title.
