Mike Phelan explains why Cristiano Ronaldo was “a lot more opinionated” during his second stint at Manchester United.
When the Portuguese superstar severed connections with Juventus in the summer of 2021, he made an emotional homecoming to Old Trafford. Some 12 years after departing for a record-breaking time at Real Madrid, he found himself back in England.
When he returned to the Red Devils, Ronaldo had won the Ballon d’Or five times and had a few Champions League titles to his name. He had high expectations for everyone around him. According to Phelan, a former United coach, a once-dream job ended up being a nightmare: “The second time, he arrived much older and much stronger-willed in his opinions. He continued to have extremely high standards and was a pleasure to deal with. But I suppose I’d say a more resilient mindset. He had previously played for Madrid, Manchester United, and Portugal.
“I liked it because he didn’t want to lower his standards but raise those of others. And when that occurs, perhaps you lose a few people along the road. I can recall instances where he pressed repeatedly but received little to no response. And frustration followed.
“When dealing with top-tier individuals, it’s all about them and where they may go in terms of finishing and destination. When they reflect, they want to say, “Wow, that was successful.” He probably realized that he couldn’t succeed at Manchester United, though I can’t say for sure because I never had that talk with him. His difficulties therefore lay elsewhere. Yes, he is in Saudi Arabia, but he is still participating in international football and scoring goals. He is performing all the tasks at Manchester United that we thought he was capable of. But a really terrific personality, one that is tough and hard-working. He put me, Carlos Queiroz, and Sir Alex Ferguson under pressure as coaches and managers. The good news is that it takes youOne additional level.”.
When Ronaldo originally arrived to Manchester United in 2003 as a young, starry-eyed winger, Phelan continued, “The challenging aspect was that Cristiano came to Manchester United knowing in his own mind that he was going to be the best in the world. The team had a ball, and he had one in his hand. And this young player made the sacrifice to leave Portugal, where he was raised, and join a team like Manchester United, where he could study everything from an English and British point of view.
He has every necessary skill set and temperament, but Carlos Queiroz, a former assistant manager, performed excellently when we tried to incorporate him into the group. His excellent practice habits and work ethic spread to the other players. They were aware that special someone was present. The players understood this man could lead them in that setting, where the bar was so high, to their destination and back again. He executed that flawlessly.
Ronaldo scored 118 goals in his first season with United, winning the Golden Ball and the Champions League along the way. In his second season, which ended in November 2022, Ronaldo scored 27 goals in 54 games. At 38 years old, he is currently working for Al-Nassr in the club game and doesn’t appear to be slowing down for club or nation.
