Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Cristiano Ronaldo has stated that Manchester United must rebuild from the bottom up.
The legendary Portuguese spoke with former teammate Rio Ferdinand about the club, the owners and the manager, emphasising the necessity for significant changes.
Before we continue – should we be surprised?
A perennially competitive superhuman with a near-perfect portfolio has a slight gripe with the mentality of the man who cast him aside.
Water is wet!
But, in fairness to the man, while it is hardly groundbreaking information, he is not lying – the club requires change.
However, like anything, perspective is required, and it is click-worthy content on a YouTube platform which craves attention.
Despite this, let us dive into today’s news and expand on a conversation between two legendary Reds.
The topic of change
“Manchester, they need to rebuild everything, in my opinion,” Ronaldo said during his highly-anticipated appearance on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
This statement is obviously correct. But Sir Jim Ratcliffe has crafted the most significant changes in two decades.
With respect, the dogs on the street knew that reform was needed.
Furthermore, with the introduction of a best-in-class backroom team, investment in training facilities, radical restructuring of the first-team squad and a task force deliberating on the future of Old Trafford, I think it’s safe to say that a rebuild is occurring.
Erik ten Hag
With an illustrious career dating back to 2002 with Sporting, few can match Ronaldo’s success.
However, his second stint at Old Trafford is perhaps the sole blemish on his legacy, with Erik ten Hag viewed as the one who inflicted such a travesty.
The 214-cap Portugal star offered his thoughts on his former manager.
“The coach, they say they cannot compete to win the League and Champions League. Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you’re not going to fight to win the League or Champions League.
“You have to be, to mentally say, listen, maybe we don’t have that potential, but I cannot say that. We’re going to try. You have to try.”
Ronaldo is a born-winner and has fought tooth and nail to achieve brilliance. It is an elite mentality – one already etched into the annals of footballing history.
But, a desire to win and a public stance on the nature of the squad are two different animals.
I agree: I want Manchester United to compete and to win. But I also recognise that structure is required to achieve this.
If Ten Hag publicly professed his intentions of winning the Premier League, what fuel would he provide an already blood-thirsty media?
As manager of Manchester United, it is wiser to pick and choose your battles in public. A certain conversation with Piers Morgan is ample evidence of when it may be better to chat behind closed doors.
The Ineos factor
During that infamous chat, the former Madrid man famously referenced the lack of investment in training facilities.
Since his departure in November 2022, Ineos has implemented dramatic restructuring – a topic the attacker recognises.
“This club needs time to rebuild because it’s still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change,” he told Ferdinand.
“They understand that. This is the only way. This is why they show, they start to change again, the structure of the club, the president, the infrastructure and everything.
“The owners of the club. They’re investing in the training ground – so, I’m happy because [things are changing] I’m not happy the way it all happen, but in the same way, we cannot control some points of our life sometimes, but it’s already done.”
Present day
Despite back-to-back defeats and growing frustration in the Stretford End, shrewd acquisitions have bolstered a fragment of optimism.
With the correct attention and due diligence across the board, Ronaldo is confident that his former club can return to the days of old.
“I believe that the future will be bright. I believe, but they don’t depend only on the talents. It’s more than that. It’s all club, all, not only players, club, everything as a unit, united. You know?”
“They have to rebuild from the bottom. If not, they cannot compete. It will be impossible. They can do good things, yes, they can win Carabao, yeah, but I mean, Champions League or Europa League or Premier League, difficult, in my opinion.
“And I wish that I’m wrong, I wish, but will be difficult.”
With Ten Hag at the helm, supporters are split about the capabilities of this side.
His desire to press from the front with high energy and maximum contributions from his players has come under scrutiny, with results not returning points.
Although Ronaldo enjoyed an impressive individual haul during his second term in the North West (27 goals and five assists in 54 appearances), his inability to contribute towards the system was evident.
Inevitably, this led to friction and his departure. A topic that he had to flirt with before the pair concluded their chat.
“To prove that I’m right or wrong, this is not my issue anymore,” he said. “I say what I have to say and for me, it’s done. But to be honest with you, what I wish for Manchester, it’s what I wish for me. The best they can make, again the best team they can and I love that club, you know, I’m not, I’m not that kind of guy that forgot the past.”
“When I’m back there, I was very happy. I was one of the best scorers. I did, I did unbelievable things with the club. My first season [I was] 37-years-old, I was the third-best scorer of the league. I scored all the [Champions League] group stage. I scored every game. Even in the league, I scored 17 goals or 18 goals. I did amazing.”
Naturally, a focus on individual metrics and milestones is the fundamental line.
Much has been said, but nothing is a revelation – it is rinse and repeat. The worrying factor is the consistent noise from ex-players and the obvious issues this presents.
Whether it is Ronaldo, Rio, Paul Scholes or Gary Neville – their influence exists outside the dressing room.
It is neither beneficial nor welcome by the manager and supplies nothing more than a contentious talking point.
“If Ten Hag listens to Ruud van Nistelroy – maybe he can help”, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner stated.
“He knows the club, and the club should listen the guys who were there”.
“You cannot, you cannot rebuild a club without knowledge”.
Van Nistelrooy’s arrival as assistant was applauded across the supporter base. But many forget that it was Ten Hag who suggested his appointment.
One can only expect that he desired the former hitman alongside him because he valued the input he could supply.
Regardless, the pair enjoyed their conversation and with the world media deliberating, they have achieved the desired results.
Onto Southampton!
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