Rangnick makes ‘challenging’ Ronaldo admission after Spurs hat-trick
Ralf Rangnick has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo’s match-winning performance against Tottenham Hotspur as his best display since the Manchester United interim boss arrived at the club but admitted the Portuguese international can be “a challenge” to manage at times.
Ronaldo netted a sublime hat-trick in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Spurs, twice putting United ahead before heading home the winner in the 81st minute.
His first was a screamer from 25 yards, his second a tap-in and his third a thumping header from a corner, encapsulating his varied skillset on a memorable night at Old Trafford.
16 Conclusions: Man Utd 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur
With Ronaldo’s mini-break in Portugal having caused controversy last week, Rangnick joked after the game that United ought to send him to Portugal every week, before praising the well-rounded nature of his performance.
“We were just joking and maybe it makes sense to send him to Portugal for three days, then have him not training for two days, then have him back training on Thursday, if that’s the way he performs,” the German said. “Maybe we’ll have to do that for the rest of the season.
“He was on a similar level in training on Thursday by the way, which is why I decided after that training session to play him from the start.
“He made the difference for sure, but not only for the three goals. That was the best performance from him, at least since I arrived here, on and off the ball.”
When asked if Ronaldo can be difficult to manage at times, Rangnick replied: “Yeah, it is challenging. It’s a challenge with a player like him.
“But he showed today that he’s still got the quality to play for a club like Manchester United. If we want to be successful at the end of the season, we have to do it together.
“He showed that he is physically able to do that, but we also have to admit he has not always been like that the past couple of weeks and months.”
The win moves United into fourth, two points ahead of Arsenal who have four games in hand.
