LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United in 2021 didn’t go as planned.
Despite Ronaldo’s initial success, the team’s performance gradually declined, leading to Solskjaer’s sacking just four months into the 2021-22 season.
In an interview with The Athletic, Solskjaer said, “It was a decision that was very difficult to turn down, and I felt we had to take it, but it turned out wrong.
“It felt so right when he signed, and the fans felt that at that Newcastle game when Old Trafford was rocking.”
Solskjaer believed Ronaldo, one of the world’s top goal-scorers at the time, could make a significant impact.
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However, the tough fixture schedule, including matches against Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Leicester, Chelsea, and Arsenal, didn’t go in their favor.
The team’s performance started to decline, and certain players’ egos became evident.
Despite Ronaldo’s impressive individual stats, Manchester United posted their worst-ever Premier League points total that season.
Erik ten Hag replaced Solskjaer but dropped Ronaldo in the early stages of the 2022-23 campaign due to concerns over his conduct on and off the pitch.
Ronaldo’s contract was terminated by mutual agreement, and he joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
As for Ten Hag, his Manchester United side, which has won only twice in their first five Premier League games, will face Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Ronaldo, now with Al-Nassr, will play in the Saudi Pro League against Al-Ahli Saudi.
