Manchester United have been tipped for a new beginning with Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure expected to unleash other members of the squad. Wayne Rooney had a similar awakening in 2006 when Ruud van Nistelrooy left following a disagreement with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ronaldo’s tantrums put manager Erik ten Hag into tough situations earlier this season with supporters eager to know what was causing friction. The Dutchman was forced to answer awkward questions when the Portuguese refused to come on as a substitute in October which may have detracted from the manager’s focus on other issues.
Bridges were burned on the eve of the World Cup when Ronaldo lashed out at Ten Hag and the club during a fiery interview and his contract was terminated shortly afterwards. The 37-year-old had been restricted to just four Premier League starts this term, scoring once.
Despite losing a player with five Ballon d’Ors in his trophy cabinet, The Independent claim that figures at United feel as though a weight has been lifted now that Ronaldo is bedding in at Al-Nassr.
Wayne Rooney reached new heights after Ruud van Nistelrooy’s exit from Man Utd (Image: GETTY)
Staff and players reportedly agree that ‘everyone is on the same page’ with the sudden change removing a source of tension between the manager and a high-profile member of his squad. Many United fans believed that the team played better without Ronaldo up top regardless and Ten Hag is now forced to look at other options.
Old Trafford insiders have likened the situation to Van Nistelrooy’s Red Devils exit almost 17 years ago following a spat with Ferguson. The prolific striker supposedly kicked up a fuss over Ronaldo’s tendency to delay passes and his popularity began to slide by the time he left.
The move freed up Rooney and Ronaldo as both players subsequently enjoyed significant and rapid progress. During the first campaign without Van Nistelrooy, Rooney notched 23 goals in all competitions – the highest tally in his career by that point – and Ronaldo almost doubled his Premier League haul by jumping from nine goals in 2005/06 to 17 the following campaign.
Having spent heavily in recent transfer windows, United have the attacking quality in their squad for several candidates to take a comparable step up now that Ronaldo is out of the equation. Marcus Rashford is already back to his best with 12 goals in all competitions this term, which is more than double the measly five he managed last time around.
Marcus Rashford could be one of the players to benefit from Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr (Image: Getty)
Jadon Sancho could also find a new lease of life having struggled to get his United career out of second gear following a big-money move from Borussia Dortmund. The 22-year-old is currently not being selected while on a training programme to get him fit and firing.
“I would like to have Jadon back as soon as possible,” explained Ten Hag. “I will do everything that’s in my power but some processes you can’t force and this is one of them. So I have also to show patience, although I don’t have the patience because we have a lack of opportunities in the frontline, players who are available and capable to contribute in the Premier League – not only the Premier League but the highest standard of top football.”
Source: newsnow
