Rangnick wins first match for Manchester United and Fred defeats Crystal Palace | Premier League

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“We love you Rangnick, we love you,” Stretford End sang at the end of a match in which Fred was the unexpected champ for a deserved win for interim manager, Ralph Rangnick, in his first match.

The winner was a smooth mid-range finish from the hacked Brazilian – with his less-used right foot – and drew from a nice pass from Mason Greenwood, to Jadon Sancho, who was United’s best player.

Fred showed a poise in front of goal that was absent as what started as a promising show became zigzagging after the interval. Moments before Fred’s goal, United had a touching moment when James Tompkins knocked out Jordan Ayew’s Terrick Mitchell corner kick from a tight angle but with a David de Gea goal gap.

Now United are four games unbeaten, three of which are victories, and he has the perfect score for Rangnick to start his tenure.

The opening German squad was a choice if it could not be broken, not fixed, it kept those who beat Arsenal 3-2. It was an interesting move due to the structural issue that Rangnick identified – a lack of match control, which he said was blatantly evident in the chaotic victory here on Thursday.

The counter point was that Rangnick was citing an issue with style rather than personnel and that keeping the side was smart management as the same players were given a first chance to impress.

Jadon Sancho was affected by his constant running. Photo: Jon Super/AP

The 63-year-old’s thinking became clearer initially as the 4-2-3-1 was dumped from the previous system of a 4-2-2-2 loss in which Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo had a lead over Bruno Fernandes and Sancho.

Palace’s 2-0 dismantling of Manchester City in October proved Patrick Vieira can deliver eye-catching wins, and there was an early warning when Wilfried Zaha slipped past Christian Benteke, who was reported as an offside.

This, however, was as good as the first half the palace had obtained. If shaky defense and an absent midfield are the primary factors in United’s struggle for control, attack is the bright spot, as evidenced by the constant rushes forward from Diogo Dalot, Rashford, Fernandes, Alex Telles, Sancho and Ronaldo.

When the last of these floated on Fernandez’s ball, he slashed it past Vicente Guaita and scored a corner kick. Victor Lindelof’s curved chip was the next to turn into Palace, with Rashford gathering and feeding Ronaldo, whose effort saved Guetta.

In a flurry of excitement, Ronaldo missed a header, and Sancho flew back to Fred, letting him fly straight to Tomkins. There were consistent attacking patterns from United that would delight Rangnick. After that, Ronaldo continued with a header that played for Fernandes whose attempt in the end was a blow. Rashford sent the ball to Fernandes and it rebounded to Ronaldo but because the No. 7 was packed with space, Palace escaped.

United looked exactly what they were: a team whose self-confidence gathered, with Sancho shining brightly.

Rangnick had asked Sancho and Fernandes to be flexible and raced first in the Weave Play or Guaita Test. His energy was also evident when it came to closing in on visitors.

Was there more of this under the man nicknamed “The Godfather of Pressure”? Yes, there is one answer, certainly in the opening stages. But that was United’s rise and there was little reason for the stunt when the second half started.

Fernandes’ blast from 20 yards out showed how calm United was required. But they are still in control. The foray from Benteke that ended with De Gea’s accidental capture was a rare moment for Palas to press. Then, after a clash near United’s area, Craig Pawson awarded a free kick, and the referee judged Fred for a foul. Conor Gallagher swung at it and Shekhu Kouyate jumped up but I saw him veered.

Sancho – inevitably now – sparked United as Rashford fired past Guita and Gallagher was on hand to help rally the striker, however it was Sancho’s last action as he brought Rangnick to Greenwood.

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If that sounds strange, Telles tried to deflect the match with a free kick from a corner along the right flank that beat Guaita but not by the crossbar. There was a quality wasted from Rangnick’s men, a goalless pass from back to front that sailed to safety from Lindelof sums it up.

But then came the winner, and although Palace sought an equaliser, in the end it was Donny van de Beek and Anthony Ilanga the least watched on the pitch: perhaps a hint of where Rangnick would like to take United.

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