'We were rubbish, he was still scoring goals': Maguire on ex-Man United superstar

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has showered glowing praise on his legendary former teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo made a jaw-dropping return to Man United in 2021 after the intervention from Sir Alex Ferguson.

He continued to deliver on the pitch but found himself increasingly frustrated by United’s collective failings.

His discontent boiled over in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan, where he criticised then-manager Erik ten Hag, prompting a mutual termination of his contract.

Maguire admitted that Ronaldo did a great job, but the premature ending left a sour taste in the camp.

He said to Rio Ferdinand (via Rio Ferdinand Presents Podcast): “I can’t speak a bad word about him.

“It was amazing to have him, when he walked through the door, it was just 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. We were rubbish and he was still scoring goals, so it just shows how good he is.  

“But we just couldn’t find a way to… all our system under Ole was about being on the front foot, being aggressive.

“Pressing, it was like a pressing machine. And obviously Cristiano came in and we just didn’t adapt well enough for him, and you could just tell he was so upset and frustrated.”

It is clear that Ronaldo’s homecoming not only thrilled the fans but also the players.

One of football’s greatest icons returned to the stage where it all started for him.

Maguire admitted that the coaches did not want to alter their tactics for Ronaldo, despite the forward being their best player.

At 36, expecting him to lead a relentless high press was unrealistic.

He knew his job was to find the back of the net, and he consistently achieved that goal, despite his side failing to support him.

Since Robin van Persie’s departure, United have struggled to find a truly lethal centre-forward.

Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo have been able to live up to the expectations. However, both of them left the club in two years.

United did the right thing by throwing their support behind their manager.

However, in hindsight, Ronaldo is still scoring goals for fun, while Ten Hag’s reign is defined by declining squad quality and a habit of overspending in the transfer market.

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .