Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has said he knew taking up the Red Devils’ coaching job would not be easy.
The German suffered his first defeat after Wolves pipped United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Rangnick’s appointment initially sparked a reaction from the United players but they have struggled to convince in almost all of his six games as manager.
Wolves switched to a back three under new coach Bruno Lage this season and the formation caused United problems in an error-strewn first-half that convinced Rangnick to switch to a defensive trident in the second.
Despite a brief spell of dominance where substitute Bruno Fernandes hit the crossbar, United failed to breach Wolves and Joao Moutinho struck a deserved 82nd-minute winner.
“I knew it would be a difficult job,” Rangnick said after the game. “There was a reason why they contacted me and signed me, so I knew from the start it would not be an easy job to find the best possible balance with regards to the players we have offensively and defensively.
“It was important for me we don’t concede that many goals. But again today against a good team, one of the better teams in possession of the ball and not an easy team to create chances [against] ourselves, it still showed we are struggling and we have quite a few steps to take.
“As I said, it’s always a question of balance, how do you need to create chances offensively and how compact do you have to be to defend your own goal? And this is what it’s all about. Finding the best possible players for the formation and hoping every player plays in his best possible position.”
United are now four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and 22 behind Manchester City.
