The highlight of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s night against Liverpool was probably snubbing Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports before kick-off.
Ronaldo started the game on the bench, and when Erik ten Hag chose to replace Anthony Elanga at half-time, it was Anthony Martial who came on.
Ronaldo played only the final five minutes plus stoppage time, helping United to see out a 2-1 win.
It was a busy few minutes, with Ronaldo lashing one effort over the bar from the edge of the box, and having a penalty appeal turned down.
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Could this be Ronaldo’s final Old Trafford game
This win seemed to indicate that Manchester United are better without Cristiano Ronaldo, more free flowing, more dynamic, more energetic.
Erik ten Hag showed he feels this way, dropping Ronaldo, and its fair to say the forward feels quite disengaged too.
Amid reports Ronaldo has told United that he wants to leave, via The Times, he has not welcomed former Casemiro on social media, something Raphael Varane did within minutes.
Ronaldo did post on social media a few hours after the win, congratulating Ronaldo on the result.
This could end up being Cristiano Ronaldo’s final match at Old Trafford.
United’s final two matches before the transfer window closes are away against Southampton and then away at Leicester.
The team are back at Old Trafford on September 4 against Arsenal. By this time the transfer deadline will have passed, and United will have a resolution on Ronaldo’s future.
It could be that United are waiting to bring in a forward first before sanctioning Ronaldo’s departure, while it’s becoming complicated for him to find a club, too.
Ronaldo may stay. He’s lasted all summer until this point – but if last night was his final game at Old Trafford, it was a memorable one, although perhaps not for him individually.
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