Ralf Rangnick responds to Ralph Hasenhuttl comments about Manchester United's tactics

Ralf Rangnick concedes Manchester United players are still adjusting to his pressing tactics after they were exposed again in the 1-1 draw with Southampton.

Southampton coach Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was Rangnick's colleague in the Red Bull group, remarked United 'aren’t used to [pressing] for more than 30 or 40 minutes, we came into the game after that' and 'it's not a big secret that when [United] lose the ball, their reverse gear is not always the best from everybody'.

Former United captain Gary Neville said: "Imagine being a Manchester United player and having a respected opposition manager say that about you."

United have never been renowned for their pressing but the absence of it in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's final months heavily contributed to his undoing and the players have not mastered it under Rangnick.

"As far as I know, he said they (Southampton) were struggling in the first-half against us and we won quite a few balls which made them change their formation in the first 45 minutes two or three times," Rangnick said. "That showed we did a good job in the first-half.

"Yes, what he said that we are not a naturally born pressing team with a lot of players in their DNA to press all the time, this is normal. They haven’t been doing that in the last couple of years and to change that into a pressing team all the time is difficult during the season.

"For us, it’s important we know that we pick the right moments when it’s time to be proactive to press and the best possible counter-pressing and even if this is not possible, to be compact and stay compact and not be too easy to be outplayed. Those are the moments when we had to suffer when we conceded the goals too easily.

"Some of them in transitional moments, when we’re