Ralf Rangnick has admitted Manchester United’s inability to hold a lead is playing on his players’ minds, insisting: “They’re not robots”.
United have scored the opening goal in each of their last three matches but have failed to win any of them.
They began the month surrendering a 1-0 lead against Championship side Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, eventually going out on penalties, and have followed that disappointment up by being pegged back by Burnley and Southampton in successive 1-1 draws in the Premier League.
Those results have seen United hopes of finishing in the top four take a significant hit. Rangnick’s men remain fifth, just a point behind West Ham in fourth, but have played two matches more than both Arsenal and Tottenham.
“Obviously when you’re 1-0 up and in three consecutive games concede an equaliser...this also affects the mind of the players,” Rangnick said.
“That it affects also the mindset of players is obvious, they are still human beings. They are not robots.
“The situation is pretty clear. In 11 out of 13 games since I arrived we scored the first goal and we were 1-0 up - but we didn’t win all of them.
“Especially in the last three games it was very sad that we didn’t win those games. This cost us four points in the league and the next round in the cup.
“The players understand and feel how and why we are doing a good job and now it’s about doing that sustainably for an entire game and this is exactly what our next step is that we have to take.”
