A key word used by Ralf Rangnick at full-time was patience. They had exactly that which was proved late on with a last-minute winner to clinch three crucial points.
Manchester United’s interim manager made it clear he warned his players before the match that it takes patience to beat a team like West Ham. The Hammers certainly sat back and came to Old Trafford for a draw but the Reds finally cracked their defence, albeit at the very end of the match.
Marcus Rashford’s winner ensured that David Moyes left Old Trafford with a bitter pill to swallow, as I’m sure he would have enjoyed a result against his former club, especially on our home turf.
That means Rangnick was the manager smiling at full-time.
Speaking to Sky Sports at full-time, he said explained how enjoyable it was to win the game in the final stages on top of a clean sheet, as quoted by BBC Sport.
“If you score in the last second of the game that is the best type of wins, a clean sheet. I think in the end we deserved to win. It takes patience to play West Ham. A few moments at the end I wished we would have passed the ball instead of shooting from wherever.
“Bearing in mind we played a few days ago against Brentford, the team looked physically good. We knew it would take patience, the way we played defensively, won balls back, I was really happy with that.
“I am very pleased the three subs prepared the goal and scored the goal. All were involved. That makes it even more important. I would love to have those two points from Villa Park, but with 17 points now we are pleased.”
This win will also help gain momentum moving forward. Next up in the league for United is Burnley, a more than winnable fixture, so Rangnick and the players should be looking to go on a winning run in February.
That is how we should be preparing ourselves for the next round of the Champions League.
