Ralf Rangnick has revealed his annoyance with some of Manchester United’s approach play against Young Boys, with the players ignoring his instructions to play more direct football.
The Red Devils had already secured a place in the last 16 of the Champions League as group winners and Rangnick opted to name a heavily rotated side at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
United took the lead early on through Mason Greenwood but gifted possession to the visitors on the edge of their own box just before half-time, with Fabian Rieder curling in a superb effort to secure a 1-1 draw.
The German coach was far from happy with the passage of play that preceded the equaliser, feeling that his side played too many short, conservative passes that invited pressure despite being instructed to play expansive, direct passes up the pitch.
Speaking to BT Sport afterwards, Rangnick explained: ‘What was really a little bit annoying was the way that we also gave the goal away, because we played too many balls into the first line of their pressing area.
‘And this was also the case with the goal that we conceded. We could have cleared the ball easily and whenever we played the ball into the second or third line, we were always dangerous.
‘I told them that before the game but they still played in that situation the ball a five-metre pass and [Young Boys] were just waiting for that ball. It was more or less a pressing invitation that we sent.’
