Ralf Rangnick has bemoaned Manchester United's inability to seize on key moments following their loss to Liverpool.
The German watched on as the Red Devils, missing several key players, were hammered 4-0 at Anfield. The visitors found themselves behind within five minutes as their flaws were continually exposed by the Merseyside outfit, who have twice battered United this term.
Rangnick's changes allowed them to enjoy a brief period on top in the second half, but they couldn't take their chances before Sadio Mane scored Liverpool's third, which killed the game. The interim boss felt that strike, had it gone in their favour, could've changed the outcome, but cited his players' inability to convert.
He told Sky Sports: "We changed that at half-time, the first 25 minutes of the second half was better. Still, we didn't make a lot out of the moments we had in their half. At least it was a game that was open in the first 25 minutes [of the second half] and then the third goal that we conceded killed and finished the game off.
"Had we scored a goal it might have changed the game but we didn’t. As I said, we had our moments in and around the box but we couldn't finish any of those moments and the third goal again was a pressing invitation." The concerning thing for those at Old Trafford will be the apparent lack of progress or learning following the defeat earlier this season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watched on as his United side were hammered on their own patch by their arch rivals. Mo Salah scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win, which saw Liverpool four goals up by half time. The Norwegian then bemoaned the team's failure to take their opportunities.
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He said: "The whole performance wasn't good enough, that's for sure. We have created openings, they have had chances, they have been clinical and we did not take our chances early on. Then the third goal is the one that decided the game."
The two maulings are almost six months apart but the Manchester outfit seemed to have learnt little from their earlier drubbing. Solskjaer's dismissal came soon after Liverpool's win and Rangnick too will soon depart his current role at Old Trafford.
United remain in the hunt for the top four but have played more games than their closest rivals with time running out to mount a late charge. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was missing on Tuesday night, has often been relied on to provide the goals and without him, the Red Devils looked below par in the final third.
