Manchester United will be looking to start fast as the Premier League returns this week with some key issues now resolved.
The Cristiano Ronaldo saga has been an unwelcome distraction for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag this season. With Ronaldo heading to the World Cup, it was decided that his contract at Manchester United would be terminated.
Many press conferences and post-match interviews have been centred around Ronaldo even when he doesn’t feature in games, and this is bound to have had an effect on Ten Hag.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside, former Premier League footballer Stan Collymore has said that he believes Manchester United could now go on a bit of a run without the distraction of Ronaldo.
“Manchester United have got rid of the Cristiano Ronaldo issue, a recurring, weekly problem. Erik ten Hag isn’t going to be asked about Ronaldo during press conferences, so I think Manchester United could go on a run now. The likes of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been playing as recently as only a week or so ago, so they’ll be ready for the upcoming fixtures. Harry Maguire was excellent during the World Cup, so I expect United to do well.”
Varane and Martinez may not be ready to play in United’s upcoming fixture against Nottingham Forest, but the momentum they have from playing competitive football over the last few weeks could be beneficial to Manchester United.
Hopefully, for Ten Hag’s sake, Ronaldo’s name won’t be mentioned over the next few weeks and Manchester United can focus on the future rather than continuing to discuss a player who was never going to be a part of their long-term plans.