Cristiano Ronaldo ‘never overstepped the boundaries’ during second spell at Man Utd despite Mike Phelan ‘rubbing his ego’ as ex-assistant coach insists some players couldn’t match CR7’s ‘high standards’

Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford in 2021 prompted a much-needed wave of enthusiasm as the club welcomed back one of the greatest players in their history. But, like much of United’s history in the post-Ferguson era, things didn’t pan out as planned. Ronaldo left the club by mutual consent in November 2022 following a clash with Erik ten Hag that prompted the Portuguese to publicly claim the Red Devils had betrayed him.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan in November 2021, where he claimed he was being pushed out and criticised the club’s lack of progress since Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2013 retirement, led to a mutual decision to terminate his contract. Yet his return had started well, with Ronaldo scoring 24 goals in all competitions in his first season and making an impact on former United assistant coach Mike Phelan, who was reunited with the player he first met as an 18-year-old.

  In an interview with The Athletic, Phelan denied suggestions Ronaldo overstepped the boundaries during his second spell and claimed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner set standards that his team-mates couldn’t match.

  WHAT PHELAN SAID

  “When Ronaldo returned, the buzz was unreal – supporters, players,” Phelan said. “What he brought back with him was a different playing style. Ronaldo is a goalscorer. He was driven by his outstanding ability to change a game. Everything was great. And then things change from the point of view of his ambition.

  “From the first time (Ronaldo was at United), when I was a coach, I just fine-tuned certain things. I tried to appeal to his strong mentality – ‘These moments are yours’. I applied that the second time around. You didn’t coach Cristiano to be a better player. All I was doing was reinforcing his belief that special players find a way.

  “I was rubbing his ego a little bit. But he delivered. He was older, wiser and set high standards – sometimes standards others couldn’t keep to.

  “We can all look back in hindsight, and I think Ole has commented on it, how that dynamic might have changed. But if you wanted someone to produce something, he did it. I honestly never thought Cristiano stepped over boundaries.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  One can only imagine Ronaldo’s reaction to Ten Hag’s recent sacking, with the Al-Nassr forward admitting that he didn’t respect the Dutch coach in the Morgan interview. United are set for a new era under Ruben Amorim, who just masterminded Sporting CP’s stunning 4-1 win over the Red Devils’ rivals Manchester City in the Champions League.