Cristiano Ronaldo ensured he burned all bridges with Manchester United before leaving, but the content of some of his issues made sense, even if the delivery was counter-productive, to put it kindly.
From the apathy of the Glazers towards bettering the facilities at the club, to the lack of ambition which left Man Utd far behind the others, Cristiano Ronaldo left no stone unturned.
It is interesting to see that his views were effectively echoed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos upon arriving at Old Trafford, only they wanted to be constructive in their approach.
Ex-Man Utd star Kleberson is now convinced after visiting the club that Ineos have managed to fix one of the biggest gripes Ronaldo had about the club before leaving.
Kleberson of Manchester United in action during a first team Pre Season training session at Carrington, July 12, 2005
Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images
Kleberson on what he noticed at Man Utd
Kleberson made only 20 league appearances for Man Utd over a three-year period but carved out a decent career for himself back in Brazil.
Currently, he’s a part of City Football Group as the assistant coach at New York City FC.
The Brazilian visited Man Utd recently to gauge the standard of facilities and learn about the changes the club was making to its infrastructure.
In a message on Instagram, Kleberson left extremely impressed by the new Carrington, an Ineos initiative to revamp the training ground, which annoyed Cristiano Ronaldo to no end.
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Kleberson said: “It was a great honour to return to Manchester United’s Carrington training centre after 22 years. I had the privilege of wearing this shirt and having unique experiences that shaped my career as a professional athlete.
“Today, being in this environment again, now with a more technical view, I was able to observe closely all the structural and technological evolution that the club has implemented, especially in the core categories.
“It’s impressive to see the care Manchester United puts into complete athlete training, going beyond four lines to also invest in personal training and the holistic development of young talent.
“This mentality is what keeps the club as a global benchmark in football. We keep on learning, exchanging experiences. I thank my friend [Quinton Fortune] for receiving me. It’s always gratifying to meet people who have been part of this trajectory and who continue to add.”
Ineos’ changes at Man Utd will bear fruit in the long term
The changes to the training ground, or hiring a new chef, are not the fancy kind of improvements, the results of which are visible immediately.
Unlike a new signing, such changes work incrementally and benefit the club in the long run in terms of “marginal gains”, to borrow Sir Dave Brailsford’s philosophy.
It is interesting that revamping Carrington was the first major order of business taken up by Ineos upon arriving, since they probably saw it as the way to make the most improvement to the performance in the shortest time.
Ronaldo urged the club to move with the times, and Ineos heeded that advice, in as unproductive a manner as it was given.
Kleberson has given his seal of approval now that the revamp work is done. Maybe Ronaldo can visit again and see if his mind has changed?