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Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani combine to put Manchester United back on the front foot
McTominay opens scoring with United's quickest goal of the season
Ronaldo scores 14th goal since his return
Rangnick extends unbeaten run to five in all competitions
It is easy to forget that Manchester United started this year at the top of the Premier League table and with hope of a sustained title charge. Few could have anticipated then quite how spectacularly the wheels would fall off over the ensuing 12 months but a year to forget at least ended on a positive note at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
Quite what 2022 will hold for United and their interim manager Ralf Rangnick remains to be seen. Already trailing leaders Manchester City by 19 points, it will be a decade, at least, now before United can realistically lift the Premier League trophy again. But their hopes of a top-four finish this term should be greatly assisted if they can get Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo out on the pitch in tandem more regularly over the second half of the campaign.
For the first time since Rangnick took temporary charge following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking - and only the second time this term - Ronaldo and Cavani started together and Burnley, like Tottenham before them, would doubtless argue that United are a very different attacking proposition with two of the greatest strikers of their generation leading the line.
At 36 and 34 respectively, United need to make the most of Ronaldo and Cavani while they can and their impact was felt across the team against Burnley. Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho revelled in the space that the veteran pair helped to create and Scott McTominay, who got the ball rolling with the first goal and could have had a hat-trick, delivered a man-of-the-match display in the sort of marauding midfield role in which he should be utilised more often.
From both an attitude and attacking perspective, this was a marked change from Newcastle on Monday, when United’s disconnect going forward was compounded by discord in the ranks, with Ronaldo, in particular, guilty of the sort of histrionics that McTominay revealed Rangnick has told the squad to cut out. The Portugal forward was one of only five players to keep their place from the dismal 1-1 draw at St James’ Park and looked far happier with Cavani, the only striker United have who is truly happy playing with his back to goal, alongside him.
Ronaldo scored United’s third after a piledriver from McTominay was tipped on to the post by Wayne Hennessey, Burnley’s outstanding stand-in goalkeeper, shortly after Ben Mee had turned Sancho’s cross-cum-shot into his own net. A fine solo goal from Aaron Lennon gave Burnley hope going into the second half but only three superb saves from Hennessey to deny Greenwood, McTominay and Cavani - who deserved a goal - kept the scoreline down. Sir Alex Ferguson, who celebrates his 80th birthday on Friday and had a banner paraded in the Stretford End before kick-off to mark the occasion, will have enjoyed what he saw. Burnley, who were playing their first game in 18 days after a spate of Covid-19 related postponements, still have just one league win to their name this season and Sunday’s game at fellow strugglers Leeds has taken on even greater importance in their battle to avoid relegation.
The first chance anyone got to catch their breath was the half-time interval. Those first 45 minutes, especially, were played at a breakneck pace. Burnley started strongly and had chances but United seldom retreated from an uber attacking 4-2-4 and ultimately overwhelmed their opponents. Ronaldo missed the sort of golden chance he usually buries when clean through in the fifth minute but his and Cavani’s presence centrally proved a constant headache for Burnley and Greenwood, Sancho and McTominay exploited the space left.
Greenwood pulled the ball back from the right by-line to Ronaldo who shaped to cut inside and rolled the ball inadvertently into the path of the advancing McTominay to sweep home a low finish into the corner for United’s first goal. Not since he overran Leeds in a 6-2 win a year earlier has McTominay cut such a dynamic presence in a box-to-box No 8 role. “His energy on the pitch is contagious,” Rangnick said of McTominay. “That was a really good performance from Scottie.”
Burnley looked in trouble at 3-0 down after 35 minutes before Lennon, impressing in the hole behind Chris Wood in Maxwel Cornet’s absence, took advantage of some hesitant United defending. The former Spurs winger may be 34 now but he rolled back the years with his goal, capitalising on a mistake by Eric Bailly before riding Nemanja Matic’s challenge. Harry Maguire then backed off and backed off as Lennon ran at him, to the point that the Burnley player was a good eight yards inside the penalty area by the time he stroked a cool finish into the bottom corner. Bailly - who was due to report for the Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations - had been recalled by Rangnick with Victor Lindelof self-isolating after contracting Covid-19 but the defender’s involvement in the tournament could now be under threat after he was substituted in the second half through injury.
Manchester United 3 Burnley 1: as it happened
10:11 PMJames Ducker is at Old Trafford
James Ducker is at Old Trafford
And his match report will be at the top of this blog imminently.
10:10 PMFull-time: Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Full-time: Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Hardly convincingly coherent from Manchester United but a much better performance orchestrated by Scott McTominay in midfield and three good goals. Maguire's vulnerabilty at the back and an inability to shut down crosses will alarm Rangnick while Burnley ought to take confidence from such a decent performance even if the gap in quality told.
10:07 PM90+3 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
90+3 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Burnley send Tarkowski and Mee forward for a free-kick inside the Man Utd half. It's chipped into the box and Trakowski again wins the header but sends it too close to De Gea.
They've had half a dozen goodish chances.
10:05 PM90+2 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
90+2 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Ronaldo is substituted to a standing ovation as usual, shakes Rangnick's hand and Fred comes on for the last knockings.
10:04 PM90+1 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
90+1 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Another great chance for Burnley. A driven 40-yard diagonal pass is sent up to Wood who beats Maguire to lay it off back towards the penalty spot where Pieters should meet it with a half-volley with his swinger of a right-foot. Instead he kicks nothing but air and trudges back with an eggy countenance.
Three minutes of injury time have been signalled.
10:02 PM89 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
89 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Tarkowski leaps to meet the corner at the back post and, like Mee before him, wins the header and should bury it but, under pressure, nods it over.
10:01 PM87 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
87 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Vydra is the latest recipient of an excellent Lowton pass, whipped in from the right. Maguire plays Vydra onside at the backpost and all alone given the other defenders have sprung the trap. He needs to hit it with his left as the ball comes across his body but goes with his right, cutting his possible angle to goal by about two-thirds and predictably can't divert it back towards De Gea's net.
09:58 PM85 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
85 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Burnley substitution: Pieters enters while McNeil exits.
09:57 PM83 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
83 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Dalot and Wan-Bissaka duly link up down the right but Taylor forces them to move the ball infield before it comes back to Dalot to cross. Tarkowski heads it to the edge of the box where Shaw takes it down and slices a left-foot effort hideously high.
09:55 PM81 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
81 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Tarkowski seems to be OK. United make their first change, sending on Dalot for Greenwood. Two right-backs on for United now. Shades of George Graham at Leeds playing Gary Kelly in front of Gunnar Halle.
09:51 PM79 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
79 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Ronaldo sticks the free-kick straight into Tarkowski's cranium.
09:51 PM77 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
77 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
McTominay lays the ball off and then his foot on its followthrough strikes Stephens. Jon Moss gives him the free-kick, 22 yards out, left of centre. Ronaldo marks out his run.
09:48 PM75 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
75 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
And that's the end for Lennon, who has rolled back the years tonight. Vydra replaces him.
Cavani wears Mee's arm in his face and goes down. When he gets up he has a few sharp words for the Burnley captain and also has a go at the Burnley staff but Dyche then goes over to pat him on the back before he is allowed back on.
09:47 PM74 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
74 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Greenwood is allowed back on. Lennon almost makes a mug of Maguire by stealing in to head it off the United captain's toe and race towards goal but he got the better of him because he started from an offside position.
09:45 PM73 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
73 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Greenwood is caught on the back of the head by Trakowski's arm and requires treatment and a a concussion assessment.
09:44 PM72 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
72 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Great save from Hennessey to stop Cavani's rifled right-foot volley with his face. Ronaldo headed the left-wing cross back to Cavani who met it with poise, panache and power. How that didn't knock him clean out I'll never know.
09:42 PM70 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
70 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Lennon swipes across Varane, felling the centre-back with a trip from behind.
09:41 PM69 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
69 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Mee should score from the corner, meeting the cross at the back-post having leapt above Wan-Bissaka but gets underneath it and bungles it over.
09:40 PM68 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
68 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Lennon carries the ball 20 yards after blindsiding and mugging McTominay in the centre of the field. He slips a pass down the left for McNeil who fires his cross into Wan-Bissaka's leaping block. Corner.
09:39 PM66 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
66 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Bailly has a problem with his right leg which looks like cramp. Varane replaces him.
09:38 PM64 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
64 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
United break like lightning from the Burnley corner with Sancho taking it towards the Burnley box. The visitor's defence scrambles back diligently and forces Sancho to stop before picking out Ronaldo. McNeil gets back to cut down his space and he rolls it back to McTominay who shoots from the right of the D and Hennessey tips it behind.
09:36 PM61 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
61 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Lennon, who has played well, drives at Wan-Bissaka with a direct dribble after being sent in by McNeil. He is given a corner even though he had the final touch himself.
09:34 PM59 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
59 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Maguire, who has been abused on Twitter over his inability to turn quickly enough to do something about Lennon's shot, heads Taylor's cross away from Wood. Lennon was in a better position but the left-back on the overlap went for the more orthodox option of sticking it on the big No9's head.
09:32 PM57 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
57 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Burnley make the change - Stephens comes on for Cork. Wood tries to steer a header from distance over De Gea and under the bar but the keeper is wise to it and gets there before it dips.
09:29 PM55 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
55 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Dale Stephens, out since February, is warming up to replace Jack Cork, whose father, Alan, scored against Man Utd 32 years ago today, presumably for Wimbledon.
09:28 PM53 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
53 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
It's also Sir Alex Ferguson's birthday tomorrow:
09:25 PM51 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
51 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Greenwood sweeps a left-foot shot from the right of the D that Hennessey claws behind. The move began on the left, Rnaldo dummied the centre, Cavani tried to flick it up, miscontrolled it but then recovered to stab it to Greenwood who started the shot too close to the keeper to beat him. He was looking to arc it inside the left post but didn't send it our far enough initially.
09:22 PM50 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
50 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Good cross from the right by Greenwood with his left, swinging it towards goal and the six-yard box where Ronaldo peels off Mee to flash a header over the bar.
09:21 PM48 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
48 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
United are quite compact in their defensive block, forcing Burnley to chip diagonals out to the wings to try to get close to goal. But it means every chipped pass is an opportunity for an interception and so far the precision hasn't been good enough to stop Shaw and Wan-Bissaka, Sanch and Greenwood, intercepting.
09:19 PM46 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
46 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Burnley kick-off and are now attacking the Stretford End. Gudmundsson is still on the left and McNeil on the right. After probing up the left they recycle the ball over to the right but can't make much headway into the United half.
09:06 PMHalf-time Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Half-time Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Lively game and Burnley have been good value, causing half a dozen defensive scares for Manchester United. But McTominay has been sensational - he seems to play better without Fred - winning loads of midfield ball and using it intelligently. Cavani's movement is keeping Tarkowski and Mee on their toes and allowing Greenwood and Sancho to use the spaces in the inside-forward channels his runs create for them.
09:02 PM45+1 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
45+1 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Man Utd begin the first of two added minutes with a corner on the right. Greenwood takes and Mee heads it out to Shaw who slips it back down the left of the box to Greenwood. He shapes to cross then tries to diddle the keeper by hooking his right foot anti-clockwise to target the near post with a shot but drags it miles wide.
09:00 PM44 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
44 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Cork grabs McTominay's shoulder and concedes a free-kick 15 yards into the Burnley half.
08:58 PM42 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
42 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Ronaldo heads over at the back post after good work from Greenwood down the left to drive at the Burnley defence and arrow over a cross that was a few inches too high even for Ronaldo's prodigious leap to meet it on the brow.
08:55 PM40 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
40 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 1
Aaron Lennon scampers down the inside-right, jinking this way and that. Maguire backs off and lets him come but before he can close the distance at the end, Lennon sweeps a shot across goal and into the bottom left corner. Maguire did extend his leg behind him to try to block it but he'd already given him the initiative.
Some game this!
08:53 PMGOOOAL!!
GOOOAL!!
Man Utd 3 Burnley 1 (Lennon)
08:53 PM37 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 0
37 min Man Utd 3 Burnley 0
Poor Hennessey who dives to his left to tip another fantastic shot from McTominay from outside the box on to the post with his finger tips only for the ball to rebound off the inside of the post towards the penalty spot where Ronaldo kung fus it into an empty goal with a lancing right, foot stab with the outside of his boot.
08:51 PMGOAALLL!
GOAALLL!
Man Utd 3 Burnley 0 (Ronaldo)
08:50 PM34 min Man Utd 2 Burnley 0
34 min Man Utd 2 Burnley 0
Sean Dyche is on his feet already but strides across to the fourth official when Wood runs after a long pass down the inside-right and Maguire grabs his shirt to give De Gea time to come out and deal with it. Ah ... the replay shows he had a fistful of Maguire's shirt as well.
08:49 PM33 min Man Utd 2 Burnley 0
33 min Man Utd 2 Burnley 0
Greenwood plays a smart one-two with McTominay and shoots from the right of the D, too close to Hennessey who dives to his right to gather.
08:47 PM31 min Man Utd 2 Burnley 0
31 min Man Utd 2 Burnley 0
Chance for Cristiano Ronaldo and he punches the air in exasperation with himself when he cannot get the ball from under his feet quickly enough to allow him to shoot from 15 yards before Mee threw himself in the road of his eventual effort.
08:45 PM29 min Man Utd 2 Burnley 0
29 min Man Utd 2 Burnley 0
Don't think he's playing on the best side for him but he cuts in from the left on to his right to bend in a shot from eight yards that took a crucial touch from Mee's heel. In fact it's been given as a Mee own goal.
The chance came because McNeil and Lowton made a hash of a rudimentary clearance when Shaw fizzed a diagonal from just inside the half into one of them. They collided with each other and gave the ball back to Shaw who took it forward then fed Sancho who, with McNeil and Lowton stranded, had a free passage into the box to open his body and shoot.
08:42 PMGOOOAL!!
GOOOAL!!
Man Utd 2 Burnley 0 (Sancho)
08:41 PM27 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
27 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
Shaw fires over the inswinger from the right and Burnley scramble it clear, from the cross and subsequent attempts from the edge of the box by Matic and Shaw again.
08:40 PM25 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
25 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
United corner after Greenwood drifts between Taylor and Mee to receive the ball on the right of the box but the Clarets' captain recovers to block the cross and send it behind for a corner.
08:39 PM24 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
24 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
McNeil whips in a very menacing free-kick towards the near post and De Gea, in a bit of a flap, arrives too late but Tarkowski (I think) heads it straight up rather than glancing it towards goal. Too solid a connection to score.
08:37 PM22 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
22 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
Tarkowski, looking for Gudmundsson, overhits his 50-yard diagonal but the winger is tenacious enough to hassle Matic to win the ball back and draw a foul out by the left corner flag.
08:36 PM20 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
20 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
Burnley let Shaw drive 60 yards with the ball as the defenders dissolve away ahead of him.He makes it from box-to-box before unleashing a left-foot shot that flirts with the left post but whistles past it.
08:34 PM18 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
18 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
United are definitely playing with more energy and swagger tonight. McTominay is releasing the ball forwards nice and early. None of that McFred hesitation of St James' Park.
08:33 PM16 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
16 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
Matic scoops a long pass from the centre-circle intended for Ronaldo straight down Hennessey's throat. Shaw, playing very high up the left, ought to be a real attacking threat tonight.
08:31 PM14 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
14 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
Westwood needs treatment after a collision with Wan-Bissaka.
08:29 PM12 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
12 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
Burnley are causing Man Utd problems down the right and this time Lowton fizzes over a cross that Bailly and Maguire let run through the box to Gudmundsson. The right-footer, playing as an inverted winger on the left, runs on to it and thunders a shot into Wan-Bissaka's shins.
08:26 PM10 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
10 min Man Utd 1 Burnley 0
A birthday gift the day before McTominay's big day. Greenwood, teed up by Wan-Bissaka, cuts in from the right and shoots, his left-foot shot comng back to him for a second bite. this time he rolls it to Ronaldo to the right of the D who controls it to set himself up for a left-foot shot but got too much on it to allow McTominay to cut across him from his left and curl a low, right-foot shot into the bottom right of the goal. Terrific finish.
08:23 PMGOAL!!!
GOAL!!!
Man Utd 1 Burnley 0 (McTominay)
08:22 PM7 min Man Utd 0 Burnley 0
7 min Man Utd 0 Burnley 0
Big opportunity for Ronaldo after a long pass from Shaw, hit with power and precision 40 yards upfield from the left. Ronaldo cushions it perfectly with his head, dropping the ball on to his right foot and he wraps his instep around it from 18 yards and bends it over the angle of crossbar and right post. It begged a different kind of finish, a hammer with the laces on the half-volley.
08:21 PM5 min Man Utd 0 Burnley 0
5 min Man Utd 0 Burnley 0
Double chance for Burnley. Gudmundsson drives down the left and crosses deep for McNeil who should hit it first time with his right but chooses to control it with his left and turn back towards his own goal. He lays it off to Lowton who arrows a diagonal to Wood, who has peeled between Bailly and Wan-Bissaka and throws himself at a header from 15 yards but steers it wide. Should have done better. Both of them.
08:18 PM3 min Man Utd 0 Burnley 0
3 min Man Utd 0 Burnley 0
United work it back to De Gea who drives a chip over halfway for Sancho and Cavani to chase but it skips off the turf and Hennessey comes out to gather before they can get there. It seems to have stopped raining.
08:16 PM1 min Man Utd 0 Burnley 0
1 min Man Utd 0 Burnley 0
Ronaldo kicks off and shifts the ball to the left where Burnley let it out for a throw-in. Sancho is on the left, tucked in, Greenwood on the right, also not hugging the whitewash, unlike City's wide men.
08:15 PMBurnley win the toss
Burnley win the toss
And put Manchester United in to bat ... switch them around so they are attacking the Stretford End in the first half. The players take a knee and the ref blows his whistle.
08:12 PMOut come the teams
Out come the teams
Manchester United in red, white and black, Burnley in all white.
08:11 PMFantastic bonus
Fantastic bonus
Ally McCoist, who bid us Happy New Year last night as he was heading back to Scotland, is back in the commentary box because whoever was on the rota for this game has suddenly become unavailable.
08:01 PMRalf Rangnick speaks
We would have wished we could have trained more but this was impossible. We had to close Carrington for four days. We made the best of the [bad] situation and worked on videos etc.
It's about fresh legs, fresh energy. We played three days ago against a team that hadn't played for a while so it was logical to make [six] changes.
It's always a question of energy and this is a tough team, Burnley. They are very stubborn and direct. If we have a high energy level and are disciplined then we have a good chance of winning today. It's all about having a high level of energy.
07:53 PMSean Dyche speaks
I hope they're raring to go. It's a great place to come to. We'll see how sharp they are. Nick Pope and Josh Brownhill and Jay Rodriguez have Covid.
We have to play well, work hard, have some big performances, which you need when you come to places like this.
07:29 PMAnd now for those of you watching in black and white
Ralf Rangnick speaks
We would have wished we could have trained more but this was impossible. We had to close Carrington for four days. We made the best of the [bad] situation and worked on videos etc.
It's about fresh legs, fresh energy. We played three days ago against a team that hadn't played for a while so it was logical to make [six] changes.
It's always a question of energy and this is a tough team, Burnley. They are very stubborn and direct. If we have a high energy level and are disciplined then we have a good chance of winning today. It's all about having a high level of energy.
07:53 PMSean Dyche speaks
I hope they're raring to go. It's a great place to come to. We'll see how sharp they are. Nick Pope and Josh Brownhill and Jay Rodriguez have Covid.
We have to play well, work hard, have some big performances, which you need when you come to places like this.
07:29 PMAnd now for those of you watching in black and white
Sean Dyche speaks
I hope they're raring to go. It's a great place to come to. We'll see how sharp they are. Nick Pope and Josh Brownhill and Jay Rodriguez have Covid.
We have to play well, work hard, have some big performances, which you need when you come to places like this.
07:29 PMAnd now for those of you watching in black and white
And now for those of you watching in black and white
Manchester United De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Matic; Greenwood, Sancho; Cavani, Ronaldo.
Substitutes Henderson, Varane, Dalot, Telles, Lingard, Fred, Elanga, Van de Beek, Rashford.
Burnley Hennessey; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Cork, Westwood, McNeil; Lennon, Wood.
Substitutes Norris, Thomas, Bardsley, Pieters, Collins, Stephens, Vydra.
Referee Jon Moss (Horsforth).
07:17 PMNo Cornet for Burnley
📋 Tonight's Clarets to face @ManUtd in our final game of the year 💥#MUNBUR | @SpreadexSport | #UTC pic.twitter.com/pzrUBXizn2
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) December 30, 2021
07:16 PMSix changes for Man Utd
No Cornet for Burnley
📋 Tonight's Clarets to face @ManUtd in our final game of the year 💥#MUNBUR | @SpreadexSport | #UTC pic.twitter.com/pzrUBXizn2
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) December 30, 2021
07:16 PMSix changes for Man Utd
Six changes for Man Utd
Cavani starts and full-backs switched:
Our final line-up of the year — let's get the job done! ✊🔴#MUFC | #MUNBUR
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 30, 2021
07:15 PMIt's absolutely siling it down in Manchester
It's absolutely siling it down in Manchester
... as usual.
Should make for a slick pitch and plenty of sliding tackles.
Team news incoming ...
06:23 PMRangnick ponders starting role for Cavani
Rangnick ponders starting role for Cavani
By Mike McGrath
Ralf Rangnick says Edinson Cavani is pushing for a return to the Manchester United starting line-up to get his team firing again.
United have failed to score more than one goal in Rangnick’s four games as interim manager.
The Uruguay forward, 34, came off the bench to rescue a point at St James’ Park and is close to a first start in two months after suffering from a tendon problem.
“Actually, in the two days before Newcastle, I was considering to play him from the start,” said Rangnick. “I spoke with him those days and he didn’t feel comfortable playing from the beginning because he didn’t know how fit he really was.
“Being 1-0 down at half-time, it was clear to me we needed to take more risks and to change something. That’s why we decided to bring him and Jadon [Sancho] on at half-time.”
Rangnick said he did not like what he saw during the draw with Newcastle and that he has not made as much progress as he wanted during his month in charge, largely down to the Covid-19 outbreak at the club meaning he has not spent time on the training pitches.
“Of course not,” said Rangnick, when asked if he was happy with progress. “Every ambitious coach, and there is no difference between other coaches and myself in that area, wants to take faster steps and larger steps forward.
“But in order to do that, you need to be able to train and, as you know, we had to close Carrington for four days.
“Before that we had eight or nine field players in training directly after the Norwich game and then they only came back in small bits and pieces.
“The three days before Newcastle we were almost back to full strength with regard to the size of the squad but we couldn’t do that much in training.
“On the other hand, in those two or three training sessions, the team looked good, therefore it really was a bit of a negative surprise the way that we played with regard to game speed and game tempo and physicality.”
Raphael Varane made an error for Newcastle’s goal, while Harry Maguire struggled. Rangnick has also recalled Eric Bailly as cover after initially allowing him to prepare for the African Cup of Nations early in Ivory Coast.
“Raphael has not played for the last five or six weeks. Even before the Tottenham game he was injured, so in the last three months he hasn’t played that many games,” said Rangnick.
“Yes, he made a mistake before the first goal we conceded but apart from that I think he was OK. I wouldn’t say he was outstanding, the same with Harry. But he did OK.
“Our problem was that we allowed too many transitional moments. This is not only a problem of the centre-backs, it is a problem of the whole team. It starts up front.
“The role of the No10s in that kind of formation. I don’t think it makes sense today to speak about the individual performance of players. We need to get better as a team.”
06:19 PMGood evening
Good evening
Manchester United were back to their disjointed worst at St James' Park three nights ago, scavenging a draw by virtue of Edinson Cavani's clinical opportunism after allowing Newcastle to dominate their midfield and defence, saved by David De Gea after some tactical tomfoolery left Marcus Rashford, in the words of Paul Merson, "like a fish up a tree" on the right and Bruno Fernandes, still their best player despite this season's dip following 18 stellar months, wastefully marginalised.
Burnley haven't played for 18 days, since their home draw with West Ham, following the postponement of their last three matches because of the pandemic. They have won only once all season but are unbeaten in their last five. They have plenty of time and games in hand to rescue them from their parlous position in the bottom three but reaching safety through draws is a tricky proposition after such a poor start. It's time to start winning one in three of their remaining games to have a realistic chance of staying up. It's not even two years since they beat Man Utd 2-0 at Old Trafford with goals from Chris Wood and Jay Rodriguez to record their first victory there since 1962.
Wood will lead Burnley's line again tonight in the absence of Ashley Barnes and should have Maxwell Cornet alongside him in their usual 4-4-2. Only Connor Roberts and Barnes are unavailable and Sean Dyche has the fewest selection dilemmas of any Premier League manager during this festive fixture list.
As for United, Bruno Fernandes is suspended, Victor Lindelof has Covid-19 and Paul Pogba won't be back for at least another month. Ralf Rangnick persisted with McFred as a central midfield double pivot against relegation-threatened Newcastle so it seems logical to assume he will do so again despite Burnley's struggles. Donny van de Beek may get a rare chance to start in Bruno's absence while Jadon Sancho ought to start after being rotated on to the bench at St James' Park.
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