Why Manchester United is better off without Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo said he was betrayed by Manchester United and felt the club has not progressed ever since his exit during his first tenure at the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United are heading towards an ugly divorce after the Portuguese legend made explosive claims in a televised interview, which aired on Sunday night.

In an unauthorised interview with British media personality Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo says he was betrayed by Manchester United and felt the club has not progressed ever since his exit during his first tenure at the club, while also stating he has no respect for manager Erik Ten Hag.

Read: Cristiano Ronaldo says he's been ''betrayed'' by Manchester United

On Ten Haag, he said: “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you."

Ronaldo suggests he now regrets moving back to the club in the summer of 2021. “I followed my heart. He (Sir Alex) said to me, ‘It’s impossible for you to come to Manchester City, and I said, ‘OK, Boss’.

“The progress was zero. Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed. I think the fans should know the truth. I want the best for the club. This is why I come to Manchester United.

“But you have some things inside that don’t help (us) reach the top level as City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal . . . a club with this dimension should be top of the tree in my opinion and they are not, unfortunately.”

Read: 'Disrespected' Cristiano Ronaldo walks off in Manchester United win

According to media reports, Manchester United are considering its options after the 37-year-old's comments in this unauthorised interview. The club published a statement on their website after his quotes went viral, which read: “Manchester United notes the media coverage regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo.

“The club will consider its response after the full facts have been established. Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built among the players, manager, staff, and fans.”

JUST IN: Manchester United are ready to terminate Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract. #MUFC [@ncustisTheSun]

— mufcmpb (@mufcMPB) November 14, 2022

With vs Without Ronaldo

It looks likely that the Premier League club is going to part ways with one of its best-ever players in its history, and stats suggest it will be a wise move.

In the 2020/21 season, a year before Ronaldo rejoined the club, Manchester United scored a whopping 121 goals, including 73 in the league where they finished second. After the Portuguese joined in the summer of 2021, United finished sixth in the league and their goal tally dropped to 71 goals, including 57 in the Premier League. This is despite Ronaldo top-scoring for the Red Devils with 24 goals in all competitions, with 18 coming in the league.

This suggests United is playing better without the No.7 in the team, and the pattern seems to be continuing this year as well. In the 11 matches, Ronaldo has started for Manchester United in all competitions, the team has scored 14 goals with Ronaldo getting on the scoresheet 3 times. However, in the 9 matches United played without Ronaldo's involvement, it scored 18 goals.

Apart from the statistics, the team also looks more fluid and dynamic without the Portuguese forward. The likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Garnacho, and Antony have all looked more dynamic in attack without Ronaldo.

With the league taking a break owing to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the focus might shift away from the messy situation the club and the player find themselves in.

However, come December 19, the spotlight will be on United as the club is likely to pull the plug on the fairytale return that has turned sour.