Manchester United news update…
Cristiano Ronaldo has not looked happy on the pitch in Manchester United’s opening games, and who can blame him.
Ronaldo is a superstar playing in a wretched and totally flawed team. He deserves better, and his frustration was evident at the weekend.
This has led to some criticism in the media, with The Times claiming Ronaldo is ‘dragging the mood down.’
READ MORE: Confirmed Manchester United transfers, ins, outs, loans, releases for 2022/23
Ronaldo promises the truth will come out
Ronaldo is not happy with the media, and insists he will set the record straight with his own version of events when the time is right.
Whether he will be a Manchester United player by then, is unclear. He has indicated he will only leave when the transfer window is closed.
Ronaldo responded on Instagram to a fan account, which had hit out at the media and also written: “I really want Cristiano to leave Manchester because the current scenario in this team is very bad for him, but if he stays, I will fervently hope that everything goes well as always. Until the 31st, the crowd will be for him to go to a better team and that can happen, let’s wait.”
Ronaldo wrote a response, insisting the majority of the media reports about him are inaccurate.
He said: “They’ll know the truth when I give an interview in a few weeks. Media only speaks lies. I have a notebook and in the last few months of the 100 news that made only 5 hits, imagine how things are. Stick with that tip.”
Ronaldo appears to have plans to put his own side of the story across, and this could go anywhere from his personal family circumstances, to his transfer plans and discussions behind the scenes.
Letting Ronaldo leave the club would free United from this drama, but whether he could find a team in the Champions League, without taking a substantial pay cut, remains to be seen.
Marco van Basten hits out at Manchester United’s pre-season
In separate news, Dutch legend Marco van Basten has hit out at Manchester United’s overseason pre-season tour to the as reason for the club’s poor start to the campaign.
United played four matches in Thailand and three in Australia, before another in Norway, and one more in England, before the season kicked off.
Van Basten told Dutch outlet Ziggo Sport, The Times reported: “What I find strange is that every year in preparation they make a kind of world tour.
“That kills the group. It’s ridiculous, idiotic. They have to stop doing that.
“Physically, it’s just heartbreakingly bad. They do everything they can to make more money, but it’s nonsense.”
Erik ten Hag inherited the plans for pre-season when he joined. He seemed to be a fan of the tour at the time, although could reflect on it in a similar way to Van Basten, if league results don’t improve.
The manager may have more of a say in plans next season. It would be interesting to see if he opts for a more scaled-down approach.
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