Ralf Rangnick described Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Tottenham as the team’s best performance since he took charge as interim manager.
Cristiano Ronaldo netted a hat-trick, including a late winner, for the Red Devils on Saturday to lift them past Arsenal into fourth place in the Premier League - delivering a hammer blow to Spurs’ Champions League hopes in the process.
Not only did Rangnick believe Ronaldo’s showing was his star striker’s best since returning to the club, but also the team as a whole’s highest-quality display.
“Today it was his best performance, at least since I arrived,” he told BBC Sport. “He was good in training on Thursday and that is why I decided to start him. Fantastic performance by him but also by the rest of the team.
“He can [get 70,000 people off their feet], but again he can also do it only with the team. A fantastic performance. It was not just the three goals today it was also he was part of the team when they were in possession of the ball.
“It was probably our best performance bearing in mind the quality of the opponents. It was necessary, we had to win the game and it will give us a boost for our next game.”
Amid criticism of Ronaldo’s work-rate since the 37-year-old made his comeback to English football, Rangnick made clear his delight with his role in the team performance.
“It’s a challenge with a player like Ronaldo,” the German admitted. “But he showed today that he still has the quality to play for a club like Manchester United.
“He also has the quality to be part of the team, and if we want to be successful at the end of the season that’s what we need.”
