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Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has praised new Burnley boy Wout Weghorst by likening him to a Liverpool great.
The Premier League relegation fighters brought in a new striker after losing Chris Wood to Newcastle United. Weghorst joined the Clarets from Wolfsburg.
Manchester United are in line to face Burnley on Tuesday night at Turf Moor. Speaking at the pre-match press conference about the 29-year-old forward, Rangnick said:
“Yes, he looks with his size, a little bit like Ian Rush, for example, but he’s a very technical player. Due to his size, he is also physically present but he’s not that much of a physical target striker. He is more of a technical player."
Rangnick also analysed the new man's impact on the Premier League and further added:
"Also, he had good times at Wolfsburg when Oliver Glasner was head coach, he did extremely well and scored quite a few goals. Hopefully, tomorrow, he won’t score. He played against Watford and I obviously watched that game on TV. I thought he was a good signing and one of the best possible signings to replace [Chris] Wood.”
Wout Weghorst began his professional career with Dutch outfit FC Emmen. He spent two seasons in the second division in the Netherlands before joining the Eredivise. He went on to enjoy four years of top-flight Dutch football.
Weghorst joined Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in 2018. He netted an impressive 70 goals in 144 matches for the German outfit.
The Dutch striker is known for tall build. However, he is also a technically gifted player. The 29-year-old is an ideal replacement for Wood at Burnley and is 1.97m tall. He is well suited to Burnley's style of play (launching long balls). In addition to this, his neat feet inside the box will also help the Clarets in the Premier League.
His form over the next few months this season could be crucial to Burnley's hopes of fighting off yet another relegation battle.
Burnley's milestone game offers Manchester United an opportunity to bounce back from FA Cup exit
Manchester United were ousted from the FA Cup by Middlesbrough in their last outing under Ralf Rangnick. The Red Devils played out a 1-1 draw before falling short in the dreaded penalty shootout at Old Trafford. Boro won the spot-kick race 8-7, as Anthony Elanga ballooned his sudden death penalty.
The defeat in the FA Cup will be a painful one for Manchester United, as it was realistically their best hope of lifting a trophy this season. With all domestic competitions now gone and the Premier League a distant dream, United will have to win the UEFA Champions League to earn any silverware this season.
Their Premier League quest from now until the end of the season is more about attaining a top-four spot. United's next assignment is against Burnley on Tuesday night.
Their encounter against the Clarets tonight will mark Burnley's 5000th league match in England. In doing so, they will become only the second English club ever to achieve this feat.
Preston North End is the other name on the list. They achieved this record back in July 2020.
As for United, they are hanging on to the final Champions League spot by a wafer-thin margin. Rangnick's men cannot afford any more slip-ups if they desire to play in Europe's premier competition again next season.
