After signing Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2021, Manchester United’s head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claimed that he needed to alter the pressing style of the team. This was due to the fact that the deal did not generate as much success as was anticipated.
Because of his tremendous achievements with Manchester United between the years 2003 and 2009, Ronaldo is now considered a legend at Old Trafford. Following his departure from Juventus at the conclusion of the summer transfer window in 2021, he then made his way back to this club. The Portuguese striker, on the other hand, only stayed for a year and a half during this reunion, during which time he scored 27 goals in 54 matches and did not win any additional trophies.
Ronaldo personally impressed with 24 goals in 38 matches across all competitions during the first season of the season, despite the fact that Manchester United did not play well. Following the conclusion of the 2022-2023 season, the striker, who was 39 years old at the time, was not given the starting position under the new coach Erik ten Hag. He scored three goals in 16 appearances before his contract was terminated at the end of 2022.
Ronaldo chatted with Solskjaer when they were both serving Man Utd in the 2021-2022 season. Photo: Reuters
On the podcast Stick to Football, which was released on March 5, Solskjaer, who was the coach of Manchester United at the time Ronaldo returned to the club in the summer of 2021, stated that the agreement for Ronaldo to return to Manchester United was made in a spontaneous and swift manner. “We didn’t think Ronaldo would leave,” the Norwegian coach mentioned. “We were surprised.” “I was very excited when I heard that Ronaldo wanted to leave Juventus. It was obvious that there were other clubs interested in him, but I was looking forward to the opportunity.” Man United requested my view, and I concurred with them. The fact that Ronaldo has died away does not change the fact that he was a really talented athlete. My age at the time was 37 years old. In the history of the world, Ronaldo is the best scorer. Despite the fact that the transaction did not have a positive outcome for me or Ronaldo, it was the best choice at the time.
Solskjaer has acknowledged that he is obligated to quickly find a method to alter the playing style of Manchester United. This is due to the fact that Ronaldo’s playing style is distinct from that of Antony Martial, Mason Greenwood, or Marcus Rashford when serving in the role previously. Another statement made by the coach, who is 51 years old, was that Edinson Cavani was the individual who was most impacted by Ronaldo’s presence when he was no longer utilized at Old Trafford.
“We started thinking right away about how the team pressed and had to make small adjustments,” Solskjaer told reporters. “When the team is in possession of the ball, having Ronaldo won’t be a problem. However, when we do not have possession of the ball, we are need to make certain adjustments to the various roles that we are accustomed to playing. Before there is Ronaldo, Manchester United is one of the clubs that has the highest presence. Because Ronaldo and Daniel James are two very different kinds of athletes, we decided to split ways with Daniel James once we acquired Ronaldo.
Although Solskjaer acknowledged that Ronaldo’s attributes can sometimes be detrimental to the squad, he stated that Manchester United is interested in Ronaldo’s passion and battling spirit. “Part of signing Ronaldo was getting passion from him, but that also had its complications,” Solskjaer told reporters. It is possible for Greenwood, Rashford, or Martial to gain knowledge from Ronaldo because he is the most disciplined and the finest player, and you believe that Ronaldo will assist them. After Ronaldo had returned to Manchester United, he sent me the instructions to start him in three consecutive matches and then attend the game. endured the fourth match of the day. On the other hand, Ronaldo was so enthusiastic about it that he did not enjoy it when I did it.
Ronaldo shakes hands with Rashford in an English Premier League match. Photo: Reuters
During Ronaldo’s tenure at Old Trafford, Solskjaer stated unequivocally that there was never a problem between the two of them. The coach from Norway stated, “I don’t remember Ronaldo having too many problems,” and he was right. Perhaps it was just the Everton encounter, in which Ronaldo came on the field as a substitute in the second half of the game and then left the field immediately after the match was over. Nevertheless, when I left the team, Ronaldo continued to cause me additional problems. I have a friendly relationship with Ronaldo, and I have a great deal of respect for him. Despite the fact that there were a lot of setbacks, I believe Ronaldo did a really good job of behaving himself while we were working together.
From March 2019 to November 2021, Solskjaer was the manager of Manchester United. During that time, the club won 91 matches, drew 37 matches, and lost 40 matches, resulting in a win rate of 54.17%. The most notable accomplishments of the Norwegian coach are finishing in second place in the Premier League and making it to the final of the Europa League in the 2020-2021 season. Solskajer is the only person who assisted Manchester United in winning any title following Ferguson. David Moyes won the English Super Cup, Louis van Gaal won the FA Cup, and Jose Mourinho won the treble, which included the English Super Cup, the League Cup, and the Europa League. Solskajer is the only person who did not assist Manchester United in winning any trophy.