Cristiano Ronaldo Still Has A Heart For Manchester United, Asks To Wake Up From The Bottom So He Can Compete

Cristiano Ronaldo still cares about Manchester United (Instagram/@cristiano).

JAKARTA - Cristiano Ronaldo still has a heart for Manchester United. He looks very concerned about the journey of the Red Devils.

Not long ago, CR7 gave its opinion on why Manchester United could not compete with the top English and European Premier League clubs.

According to him, the Red Devils need to rebuild from below now under Sir Jim Radcliffe, the club's minority shareholder.

Ronaldo warned that Manchester United needed to rebuild completely after Sir Jim Ratelege's investment.

As is known, Ratcliffe acquired United's 27.7 percent stake earlier this year. Ronaldo is also optimistic about the future of the Red Devils.

However, he warned that returning to the top level of football would require patience.

"In my opinion, they (United) need to rebuild everything. This club needs time to rebuild because it is still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change."

"They understand that. This is the only way. They invest in training. So, I'm happy because (it's all changing). I believe that the future will be bright."

"They have to rebuild from the bottom. Otherwise, they can't compete. That's impossible. They can do good things, yes, they can win Carabao, but my point is, the Champions League or Europa League or the Premier League is difficult. I hope I'm wrong," Ronaldo said as quoted by The Sun.

Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia after leaving Old Trafford. He has played an important role with Al Nassr even though he has not raised any titles.

The Portuguese star separated from Manchester United with mutual approval.

The moment came after an interview exploded with Piers Morgan (British journalist) in which he criticized the Red Devils for failing to invest in 13 years since he first left Old Trafford.

He said he had no regrets for rejoining United from Juventus in 2021 despite no success. He only wish him all the best even though he just left in November 2022.

"I'm not happy with the way it all happened. We sometimes can't control things in our lives."

"To prove that I am right or wrong, this is not my problem anymore. I said what I had to say and for me it was over," Ronaldo said.

"Honestly, what I hope for Manchester (United), that's what I hope for myself."

"The best they can make. Once again, the best team they can (have) and I love the club, you know, I'm not the type of person who forgets the past."

"When I got back there, I was very happy. I was one of the best goalscorers. I did great things with the club. I did great," said Ronaldo.

Ronaldo further acknowledged that Manchester United's minor performance in the past few years could not be separated from the mentality of Manager Erik ten Hag.

"Coach Manchester United, you can't say you won't be fighting to win the Premier League or Champions League."

"You have to do it, to mentally say, listen, maybe we don't have that potential, but we will try. You have to try," he said regarding Erik ten Hag.

Luckily, according to Ronaldo, Manchester United now has a former teammate, Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was appointed assistant manager of Ten Hag.

"I'm sure Ruud will help because he's in the club. He knows the club. He knows the fans. If the coaches listen to him, I think they can improve the club a little."

"People who understand football, 99 percent are people in the dressing room, who are players," Ronaldo said again.

Ronaldo has scored a total of 145 goals in 346 appearances for United over two periods.