Although Manchester United drew 1-1 away to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, it was an acceptable result. But manager Ronnick was not satisfied after the game, he could not believe that the team played so timidly in the first half, so his adjustment was imperative in the second half. But the result was good, Lonnick made a "magical substitution" and Anthony Erlanga scored on the bench for two consecutive games.
It is worth mentioning that Erlanga's shot was the first time That United shot the goal of this game. This season's Champions League doesn't count away goals, so back at home, Lonnick demanded that the whole team must play bolder, better and take risks.
Lonnick said: "I don't know if I have completed the redemption, but in the first half we performed so badly that we could only get better. The team's performance in the first 45 minutes made me feel unbelievable. We played unconvincingly, without aggression, so we struggled. We played better in the second half, had more possession in key areas and if we had played 10 more minutes, we might have won the game."
As for the level of performance of Manchester United in the first half, Lonnick has repeatedly expressed disappointment. "We should have played better in the first half but I was very disappointed by the team's play. Whether we have possession or not, our performance is too worrying to take risks. We only passed the ball in our own half, and against Atletico, it must be difficult for you to play like that."
United's first goal conceded, with captain Maguire's defence being criticised for missing Portugal's golden boy João Felix, but Lonnick defended the England Iron Guard, insisting the ball was not easy to defend. Lonnick also believes that United's lack of offensive end is also an important factor, resulting in the team being suppressed and the defensive line being heard. "Their first goal, you're hard to defend, it was a fantastic cross and a fantastic shot. We have to be more confident in handling the ball and the players need to run deeper, just like when we scored. That's the routine we have to play against Atletico."
Lonnick unexpectedly arranged the tactic of using Lindelof as a cameo at right-back in the starting line-up, which United had hoped would strengthen the defence and improve the flexibility of the formation changes on the spot, but conceded the ball prematurely, making this arrangement ineffective. Lonnick concluded: "Football is an important sport, especially for the fans. The game requires a battle of wits and I hope to do better in the second leg. Starting with Lindelof, we hope he can better control the header in the attack and defense of set-pieces. All three centre-backs were in good shape, but after 7 minutes we were 0-1 behind and the tactical plan was only thrown into the trash."
"I know it's not his best position and when we switch to Wan Bissaka and Alex Tres, the team has more possession and more wing assists. In the end, conceding a goal too early is certainly difficult. In the second half, we showed how to play. Back at home, in front of 75,000 fans, it's going to be different and we're going to be more confident than we were in the first half tonight."
The 19-year-old Swedish fast-paced Ellanga has scored key goals in two consecutive bench games, and Lonnick called on his teammates to learn from him. "He played his dream come true and watching him play was a pleasure and a treat. I hope that some other players will follow his example."