Cristiano Ronaldo is great but he's not a pressing monster, reveals Ralf Rangnick

05/22/2022

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Ralf Rangnick expressed disappointment at the fact that he hasn’t been able to implement his high-pressing style at Manchester United and admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo has been a talismanic figure but hasn’t been a pressing monster. The United attacker joined the club the previous summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United for his second spell at the club in a sensational move the previous summer. The 37-year-old has been United’s focal point in attack and has scored 24 goals across all competitions but has been unable to arrest the English side’s slump this campaign.

United appointed Ralf Rangnick as interim manager in November after buying time to make the right choice for the next manager of the club although the German coach hasn’t been able to implement his high-octane style at the club. Ronaldo has borne the burden of being their only source of goals in recent games and critics has suggested that the five-time Ballon d’Or award winner cannot be relied on to have the legs for a high-pressing style throughout the course of a season.

Things have become so bad that the English giants must win their fixture against Crystal Palace on the final day of the season to ensure a sixth-place finish and Europa League qualification ahead of Erik Ten Hag's appointment next season. Rangnick has highlighted his shortcomings in playing his trademark style of football.

“I am the one who is most disappointed about that [implementing his philosophy] and frustrated about that. At one stage we just had to find compromises. Cristiano scored a few goals but, again, Cristiano — and I’m not blaming him at all, he did great in those games - but he’s not a pressing monster. He’s not a player - even when he was a young player - he was not a young player who was crying, shouting 'Hurray, the other team has got the ball, where can we win balls?' Rangnick said in his press conference.

“And the same with quite a few other players, so we had to make some compromises at one stage,” he added.