5 changes Ralf Rangnick made as Man Utd disappoint at Newcastle after two-week hiatus

Ralf Rangnick wore the look of a bemused man on the touchline as he watched his Manchester United side battle to a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at St James' Park.

The German would have welcomed the opportunity to work closely with his players on the training pitch at Carrington after seeing two of their fixtures postponed due to a Covid outbreak.

But judging by the abject display his players produced in the 1-1 draw against struggling Newcastle, the 63-year-old will acknowledge there is much work ahead.

Allan Saint-Maximin's brilliant strike early in the first half gave Eddie Howe's side a dream start and the hosts were the far better side as United looked lacklustre.

The Frenchman was denied by David de Gea in the second half as Rangnick made a double substitution at the break, bringing on Jadon Sancho and Edinson Cavani for Mason Greenwood and Fred.

And Cavani prodded home the equaliser to bring the visitors back into the contest to take away a point from Tyneside.

Here are the five changes Rangnick made as he his side disappointed against Newcastle.

After watching on with frustration in the first half, Rangnick decided to shake things up with a double change at the break.

On came Jadon Sancho and Edinson Cavani, off went Greenwood and Fred. And there was a seismic shift in quality when United got on the ball, with Fernandes able to control the ball and work it into wide areas from a deeper position.

Sancho looked lively in bursts, but it was Cavani who provided the all-important equaliser on 70 minutes.

Diogo Dalot's crossed found the Uruguayan inside the box and after his first attempt was blocked, he stabbed home past Martin Dubravka on the rebound.

Perhaps it is a substitution he had planned in the back of his mind from the training pitch, as Cavani and Ronaldo looked a great deal more dangerous up against the Newcastle defenders.

And if that was the case, Rangnick deserves credit for changing the course of this match, with Newcastle left to rue their profligacy in the first half.

Man United legend Gary Neville spoke before the game about the defensive "shambles" that played a key role in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking, and Rangnick has sought to eradicate that particular issue with a new focus on keeping it tight at the back.

"If we have a clean sheet again today then it would be good for us and with our team we are always able to score one or two goals," he said.

"So again, it’s about having a clean sheet, playing defensively with all the players - it starts upfront with the strikers then midfield and defence. This is what we have to do today."

United kept two clean sheets in as many games, but in doing so, only scored three goals and have created very little of note against teams that leak goals like rusty faucets against other sides.

Ronaldo and Fernandes looked lost up front, while Greenwood and Rashford's efforts have rendered very little in terms of chances. Only after throwing caution to the wind did United look like winning this game, but it was a case of too little, too late.

Ralf Rangnick believes in high-pressing off the ball and a possession-based style on it. Both methods require extensive training and the German tactician has had a fortnight working with his players to get the small details right.

David de Gea had opened up on how Rangnick has been attempting to drum his methods into the players with intense sessions over the last few days.

“We’ve been training hard, of course. It’s very intense, every training session, every moment with him [Rangnick] is intense,” he said.

“The team is training with energy, with pace, and now we have to show that in big games.”

But there are doubts whether Rangnick has the required personnel to bring his blueprint to life — and this performance against Newcastle did nothing to dispel those concerns.

Fred and Scott McTominay looked ill-equipped to play vertical passes through the middle, while Bruno Fernandes struggled to find space in between the lines. In terms of pressing, it was almost non-existent.

And when they did close down their opponents, there was no sign of a swarm of four or five players desperately trying to retrieve the ball but half-hearted sprints instead — a sight that inevitably frustrated the Man United head coach as he made alterations at the break.

The lethargic first-half display suggests they may have been worked too hard, and it is something Rangnick may need to alter as the games come thick and fast over the next three weeks.

The long-awaited return of Raphael Varane to the starting XI after two months out appeared to give Man United a new lease of life.

Instead, the Frenchman’s recall resulted in a rocky first-half display as Saint-Maximin pulled his compatriot out of position on a number of occasions.

It was his error that allowed Newcastle to break forward, turning blindly into Sean Longstaff and Newcastle surged forward in numbers before Saint-Maximin struck home.

Captain Harry Maguire was posted as the deeper of the two centre-backs and the Englishman looked nervous when trying to snuff out the threat of Callum Wilson.

In their attempts to push up the pitch, Diogo Dalot and Alex Telles were caught high up the pitch and gave Newcastle chances to counter in acres of space.

The pace of Varane proved pivotal in halting Saint-Maximin from racing away, but the former Real Madrid star looked out of sorts on too many occasions, giving Rangnick food for thought about whether to hand a recall to Victor Lindelof next time out.

Mason Greenwood has been predominantly used on the right side of a three-man attack since breaking into the first team, so perhaps as a natural striker he would have relished the chance to take up a position through the middle.

Rangnick made no attempt to conceal his plans in the pre-match interview, indicating he wanted to try pairing Greenwood alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in his 4-2-2-2 formation.

There is no question it is a role in which Greenwood could thrive. As a youngster in the club’s famed academy, the 20-year-old first caught the eye due to his incredible goalscoring exploits.

He worked tirelessly, hounding the Newcastle defenders to win back the ball, but was somewhat ineffectual when it came to creating chances or shooting on goal.

Marcus Rashford has had much success playing through the middle and on the left for United over the years, as reflected by his tally of 91 goals for the club. But playing as a deep right winger did not maximise his attributes.

Having looked comfortable playing alongside Ronaldo in Rangnick’s previous two wins, the decision to switch them up ultimately backfired for the German — and it would be no surprise to see him return to the normal setup in their next fixture after hooking Greenwood at the interval.

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