Friday, March 29

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Man Utd at the wrong time and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows it


When Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United last summer, fans dared to dream. The prodigal son was coming home to lift them from their slump, to bring trophies back to Old Trafford, to write more history. But, a year on from the club agreeing a fee for the veteran, things haven’t worked out that way…

A year ago today, United announced they’d agreed a fee with Juventus to re-sign Ronaldo after 12 years away.

The Portugal international had initially looked set to join Manchester City, doing the unthinkable in the process. But interventions from the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, Bruno Fernandes and Sir Alex Ferguson swung the transfer pendulum the red way, instead of the blue.

It was a sensational capture. Regardless of whether or not City dropped their interest in the 37-year-old late on, it dominated the headlines that day.

United believed they were signing a player still capable of producing the goods. One that would lift them from the doldrums and make them a force in English football once again.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was one person who, initially, thought the same. Speaking after it was confirmed Ronaldo would be set for a Hollywood homecoming, the Norwegian said: “He has had such a great career and he has been here before.

“Hopefully we can just finalise the paperwork and announce it. He is going to give everybody a boost, of course.

“I played with him, he’s a great player, he is a top human being, he is a top professional, so he will give everybody in the squad and everybody around the club a buzz.”

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He also added: “He’s a more experienced player than when he was here last time.

“He’s evolved and had an unbelievable career. All the talk about how he’s too old – just make it personal and he’ll show what he can do.”

Things started well enough for Ronaldo, with the veteran bagging a brace in a 4-1 win over Newcastle on a day where Old Trafford was a raucous cauldron of noise.

But that was as good as it got for Solskjaer and his former team-mate.

While Ronaldo scored nine goals from 13 games under the Norwegian, including 12 starts, he couldn’t prevent Solskjaer losing his job as results worsened.

Having finished second in the Premier League table, bringing the 37-year-old back seemed to impact the team. For reasons that, still, are unclear.

It then later transpired that Solskjaer regretted the decision to re-sign the veteran towards the end of his spell in the Old Trafford dugout.

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A source told The Times that the 49-year-old felt this version of the player ‘did not fit’ with what he wanted to achieve at the club.

United had been starting to look like a high-octane team. A Primark Liverpool, with good and promising but not yet great players.

Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood had been clicking as an attacking trident. The club’s decision to spend big on Jadon Sancho was seen as a statement of intent, too.

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But Martial, Rashford, Greenwood and Sancho all struggled to steal the spotlight from Ronaldo and Solskjaer’s reign was never able to recover.

Ronaldo would go on to score 24 goals for United across all competitions last term, yet his goals weren’t enough to propel them into the Champions League.

And his future, right now, remains up in the air.

Ronaldo wants to leave United. Though he loves the club he’s now spent a total of seven years at, across both spells, he feels he’s earned the right to play in the Champions League.

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Erik ten Hag, the Portugal international’s manager these days, has publicly claimed he wants to keep hold of the superstar.

Privately, it’s said to be a different story with the Dutchman open to parting ways with Ronaldo as he eyes the likes of Antony, Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay.

What is undeniable, however, is that the former Real Madrid and Juventus star has come back at the wrong time.

Ronaldo actually gave Ferguson his word he’d come back in 2013, just four years into his stint in Spain. Madrid were toiling in Barcelona’s wake and the forward was frustrated at their lack of silverware.

Ferguson then told Patrice Evra, who later said: “I remember we talked maybe two weeks before and he said, ‘Patrice, I will be here another five years.

“I said, ‘yes boss, let’s do it.’ I was so convinced.

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“He was looking younger and younger, amazing. He even told me ’99 per cent, Cristiano Ronaldo will come’.

“I was like, ‘wow, we are ready to bounce back and to even win the Champions League again’.”

But Ferguson’s retirement, and the subsequent appointment of David Moyes, scuppered everything with Ronaldo going on to stay at Madrid.

This was at a time where his numbers were starting to go into orbit. Had he gone back to United in 2013, it would have been on the back of three seasons where he’d scored 53, 60 and 55 goals.

Ridiculous stats, even now. If United had struck gold all those years ago, perhaps they wouldn’t in the predicament they are now.

And fans would have seen a God-like Ronaldo, rather than this pale imitation that, for all of his undeniable quality, is on the wane. 

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