Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen publicly criticized the club in 2021 regarding their handling of Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese star returned to Old Trafford. This happened when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was managing the team.
Owen voiced his concerns particularly after Michael Carrick, who was briefly in charge following Solskjaer’s departure, opted to bench Ronaldo for a game against Chelsea. The tactics deployed during this period, and under Solskjaer, drew sharp criticism from the former England international.
Owen suggested that Manchester United were not playing to Ronaldo’s strengths and were essentially "abusing" him with their defensive approach. He stated:
"We were at Old Trafford for the City game the other day and all of a sudden it’s just exactly the same they leave Cristiano Ronaldo up front on his own. That’s almost abuse! Having someone that good in your team and then playing everyone defensively and saying: ‘That’s alright we’ll just hope he nicks a goal,’ he’ll end up being average."
He elaborated, highlighting the need for a more supportive team structure around Ronaldo and other talented players:
"They need other players to come up and help them. It’s almost abusing the good players they’ve got and that’s the last thing you’ve got to do. If anything, expose the rubbish!"
Carrick eventually left the club, and Ralf Rangnick took over as interim manager before Erik ten Hag was appointed permanently in the summer of 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Goal Tally in His Second Manchester United Stint
Despite the managerial changes and tactical tweaks, Cristiano Ronaldo did contribute with goals during his second spell at Manchester United. Here’s a breakdown of his goal scoring record under each manager:
- Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: 9 goals and 2 assists in 13 games.
- Under Michael Carrick: 3 goals in 3 games.
- Under Ralf Rangnick: 12 goals in 22 games.
- Under Erik ten Hag: 3 goals in 16 games.
However, his time under Erik ten Hag was marred by disagreements. After criticising the Dutch manager in a public interview, Ronaldo’s contract with Manchester United was terminated. In December 2022, he moved to Al-Nassr, a club in the Saudi Pro League, where he currently plays.
What are your thoughts on Manchester United’s handling of Cristiano Ronaldo during his second stint? Share your opinions in the comments below.