Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has praised the atmosphere that Liverpool fans created during last night’s game at Anfield.
Speaking to beIN SPORTS, the German coach shared that it was his third time visiting the stadium, but his first being on the touchline.
Rangnick’s side were comprehensively beaten by a sensational Liverpool performance. But the 63-year-old was humble enough to pay tribute to The Reds fantastic atmosphere and praised the fans gesture towards Cristiano Ronaldo with a standing ovation in the seventh minute of the game.
“I’ve been here now for the third time, the first time as a coach, the atmosphere is great,” said Rangnick.
“They support their team, they love their team. That they joined in with that after seven minutes shows that they respect that football is more than just supporting one team.”
It was a touching moment as both sets of fans came together to send a message of support to Ronaldo after the death of his baby son.
Jurgen gets one over on Ralf
As a Liverpool fan, it feels strange to listen to a United manager so openly praise the Anfield crowd.
As ever, there will be some sections of the football world who won’t stand for it. Roy Keane has been particularly scathing of Liverpool’s ‘friendly’ rivalry with Manchester City in recent weeks.
As a United legend, it isn’t hard to imagine what Keane’s reaction to hearing Rangnick’s comments would be.
Rangnick is a football man through and through though. Having spent a lot of his career in the shadows and at smaller clubs, it must have been a big moment for him to take Manchester United to Anfield.
Unfortunately for him, The Reds were looking forward to just it as much as he was. Jurgen Klopp doesn’t have the best record against the coach who called him ‘one of the best in the world’ ahead of the game.
The United boss only lost on two of 13 previous meetings against Klopp. The last of those meetings came in 2011, though. A lot has changed since then and the way Klopp sent his team out to attack their depleted rivals from the start showed how keen he was to get one over on his countryman.
That he certainly did, to the tune of a highly impressive 4-0 win. On The Reds march, next up, the small matter of an Anfield Merseyside Derby.
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