Ralph Hassenhuttl admitted he wasn’t surprised Manchester United’s star players wilted in the second-half has his Southampton side secured a fully deserved point following a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Saturday.
United looked well set to bounce back from Tuesday’s disappointing result at Burnley when Jadon Sancho struck midway through the opening period, after he converted Marcus Rashford’s low centre at the far post.
Ralf Rangnick’s side were, however, unable to maintain the intensity required after the break and it was no surprise when Che Adams equalised shortly after the re-start.
United have struggled to get to grips with the demands of Rangnick’s pressing style following his appointment in December and Hassenhuttl claimed it was ‘no secret’ that some of the Red Devils’ more high-profile players aren’t naturally inclined to fulfil their defensive obligations.
He said: ‘They aren’t used to doing it (pressing) for more than 30 or 40 minutes, we came into the game after that.
‘It’s not a big secret that when they lose the ball, their reverse gear is not always the best from everybody.’
During his post match press conference, meanwhile, Rangnick was quick to point out that Southampton’s players have had the benefit of working under Hassenhuttl, in some cases, for three years and it will take him more than a couple of months to get his team playing in a similar fashion.
He said: ‘Our team compared to Southampton has never been a pressing team and to change those habits within a couple of weeks without having a pre-season doesn’t happen like that.
‘I don’t think it’s a question of habit. It’s a question of what kind of players do we have, how do they want to play, we can only make up as a team, changing habits.
‘You can be sure we address those things all the time, that we do those things even in the moments we can train with them properly. It’s all about being aggressive, taking the last step.’
MORE : Gary Neville says Manchester United ‘broke every rule in the book’ during Southampton draw
MORE : Paul Scholes says Bruno Fernandes has become ‘a problem’ for Manchester United after latest draw
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