Ralf Rangnick explains how Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek was instrumental in the team’s triumph over Aston Villa.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Ralf Rangnick stated after the game that Donny van de Beek helped Manchester United to regain control of the game in the dying minutes of the hard-fought victory against Aston Villa.
On Monday night, the Red Devils beat the Villans, but it wasn’t all plain sailing. We lost control of the ball late in the game, and Fred and Scott McTominay were undoubtedly our two best players on the field.
In the last minutes of the game, the Steven Gerrard-led team put pressure on us, and our frontline was on fumes. Rangnick then introduced Donny van de Beek, who bolstered our presence in the middle of the field while limiting the opposition’s opportunities.
After Man United returned to a diamond formation in the final 20 minutes of the game, Rangnick explained the tactical flexibility given by the Dutchman.
He said:
“The game against Villa today confirmed, with a minimum three central midfielders, we had problems in times of the game to control the center of the pitch. From the very moment when we changed to a diamond in the last 20 minutes, when Donny came on, we controlled the game. We had our counter-attack situations.“As a coach, I am always somebody who likes to have control and wants more control. It’s a question of balance, and we still need to improve in those moments.”
Man United fans have been waiting for the German manager to show off his tactical nous in the previous month, and on Monday night, he pulled one out of the bag. Although it did not result in a significant change, it did prevent Villa from increasing his chances.
Van de Beek was a flexible player who snuck between the lines to intercept penetrating passes. The 24-year-old was frequently clinging to the ball in crucial moments and, at times, dictating play. All three substitutes, though, deserve credit.
In the later stages of the game, Anthony Elanga and Jesse Lingard pressed from the front and won corners. The entire team had to put in a lot of effort to get the win on the night, which was critical.
Rangnick has struggled in previous weeks with his changes, but he got it right against the Villans. Fans will be hoping for something similar when we travel to Villa Park for the Premier League match this weekend.
