Manchester United experienced one of the worst nights in their history when they lost 7-0 to Liverpool last Sunday. It was a humbling night for Manchester United at the historic Anfield stadium. However, former Manchester United star Louis Saha has claimed that United could have avoided the embarrassment if Cristiano Ronaldo would have been present.
Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United last year after things turned sour between him and the club. Ronaldo, who currently plays at Al-Nassr, had a falling out with United manager, Erik ten Hag. During his final few months at Manchester United, Ronaldo saw his role at the club limited to the bench. Ronaldo scored only once in his last 10 Premier League matches.
However, many felt that Manchester United could have avoided the 7-0 drubbing if Ronaldo was on the team. Louis Saha, who played for United from 2004-08, also said the same while speaking to Compare.bet. Saha talked about said, “Ronaldo’s departure marked a fresh start for United, and it gave ten Hag a blank page to draw upon, which has allowed him to establish a winning mentality at the club.”
Louis Saha (Former United superstar):
“I think United would be even better off if they had Cristiano. When I see United losing 7-0 to Liverpool, I just think that Cristiano could have helped. ” pic.twitter.com/qXdj7TGN4K
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) March 7, 2023
“Now that the club’s mindset has improved, I think they’d be doing even better if they had Cristiano up top. Of course, it’s hard to know for sure, but when I see United losing 7-0 to Liverpool, I can only think that Cristiano could have helped,” Saha added.
However, Saha did also acknowledge that Ronaldo’s departure from the club is partly responsible for United’s recent performances. Erik ten Hag has truly worked wonders at the club, as he led United to their first title since 2017. Despite the defeat against Liverpool, Manchester United can still go on and win three more trophies before the end of this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s last performance against Liverpool
Louis Saha claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo could have turned around Manchester United’s fortunes against Liverpool. However, Ronaldo’s last few performances against Liverpool don’t support Saha’s statement. Ronaldo’s last game against Liverpool came in August last year when United won 2-1 against the Merseyside club.
While United did win the match courtesy of goals from Jaden Sancho and Marcus Rashford, Ronaldo hardly had any impact on the game. The Portuguese talisman had a cameo performance against Liverpool, coming off the bench for only four minutes. Before this match, Ronaldo’s previous appearance against Liverpool came in a 5-0 defeat at Old Trafford.
🗣️ “Ronaldo was lucky the ball was there, that is what saved him from being shown a red card.”
Dermot Gallager says it wasn’t wise of Cristiano Ronaldo to try and kick the ball from under Curtis Jones while he was on the floor 👇
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 25, 2021
While Mohamed Salah grabbed the headlines for his magnificent hat trick for Liverpool, Ronaldo had a lackluster performance. Ronaldo’s only highlight of the game was the controversial incident where the former Real Madrid star appeared to kick Liverpool’s Curtis Jones in the mid-riff. However, Ronaldo was fortunate to escape a red card for his actions.
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