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Harry Maguire has shared his thoughts on Cristiano Ronaldo's second stint at Manchester United, detailing the circumstances that led to the Portuguese superstar's sad end at the club.
Ronaldo, who intially joined Manchester United in the summer of 2003, made a sensational returrn to the club in the summer of 2021. At the time, Red Devils had just finished in the second position on the Premier League under then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Harry Maguire hailed Cristiano Ronaldo's individual brilliance despite the club's poor form. United endured a difficult 2021/22 season, finishing sixth on the Premier League table. Despite the disappointing finish, Cristiano Ronaldo was able to score 24 goals in 38 appearances across competitions.
“I can’t speak a bad word about him," Maguire said. "It was amazing to have him. Even when he just walked in through the door, it was incredible. It was just so disappointing how it ended and how we couldn’t find a way to perform with him in the team. He was performing, he was scoring goals. It was crazy, I don’t know how many he scored that year. We were rubbish and he was still scoring goals. It just shows how good he is.
“Our system under Ole was all about being on the front foot, being aggressive, pressing. It was all about pressing like a machine. We weren’t the best team, we finished second and third. We had some great players, don’t get me wrong, but it was all about tactics and working to maintain a shape. Obviously Cristiano came in and we just didn’t adapt well enough for him, and you could tell he was just so upset and frustrated.
Maguire went on to praise Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s tenure, crediting the Norwegian's managerial prowess.
“It was a season where everyone was so frustrated. We couldn’t believe what happened, we obviously finished second and third and then that season we bought Raphael Varane and Cristiano. You’re thinking, ‘here we go, let’s go and win the Premier League now.’ And it just never happened, never clicked and we lost Ole, which was disappointing. I felt like Ole did an unbelievable job. I’ll speak more about him when I’ve retired, but the way he set us up in those two years, that was the best I ever felt in a team.
Concluding, Maguire claimed Ronaldo was not to blame for United’s struggles. He claimed the team failed to build tactics that worked around the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
“It had nothing to do with Cristiano because, like I said, he was our best player that year by far. The tactics around him just didn’t work.”
Cristiano Ronaldo ultimately left Manchester United in December 2022 following a mutual agreement to terminate his contract.
How Cristiano Ronaldo fared during his second stint at Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo endured an ill-fated spell on his return to Manchester United. Apart from his maintaining his goal-scoring form, the Portuguese captain’s one-and a-half-season second spell was largely one to forget.
Cristiano Ronaldo was at loggerrheads with almost of all of his former bosses and was infamous for his explosive interview about Manchester United with Piers Morgan.
Despite the sad ending, Cristiano Ronaldo emerged as the club's knight in shining armor in certain matches. Two of the memorable matches were in the 2021/22 Champions League group stage matches against Villarreal and Atalanta.
The then-36-year-old scored a late winner against the Spanish side to give United a 3-2 win. He replicated the same against Atalanta in the first leg to give his former side a 3-2 win and then score a brace in the return leg to secure a draw (2-2).
In what was a stark contrast to his first stint, Cristiano Ronaldo’s second stint at Manchester United ended without a trophy.
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Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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