In the summer of 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo made a historic return to Old Trafford after departing Italian giants Juventus. The prolific goal-scorer was looking to help his old club find its glory days.

But it didn’t turn out to be the return Cristiano Ronaldo expected and the former Madrid man left the club after spending one and a half seasons with the English side. Moreover, his exit was quite a bitter one, as his relationship with the club deteriorated after his interview with Piers Morgan.

Cristiano’s arrival at Old Trafford may have helped the Red Devils somehow. The attacker scored 27 goals in 54 overall appearances. However, even after such an impact, the attacker was criticized by many pundits and fans.

Chelsea legend dismisses criticism against Cristiano Ronaldo

The CR7 was being pointed at for many things. However, the biggest criticism was that he impacted other United players’ performances, especially Rashford’s. And now with his exit, Rashford is back to form.

However, all these claims have been dismissed by former Premier League legend, Andy Cole. When asked if Ronaldo had impacted Rashford’s performance, he said, “I’m an individual. I’m not going to get involved in the Ronaldo thing because he left. Ronaldo wasn’t there 18 months ago when Marcus Rashford was struggling.

“The [Erik] Ten Hag effect, I think. No doubt, the manager will be believing in him, telling him how good he is. But ultimately, as individuals, he could have taken his eye off the ball a little bit with what he was doing off the field. It could have been a little bit of that as well, but to see him in this really fit form now, the way he’s playing, I think it’s a testament to him.“

Cole believes that Erik Ten Hag helped in the epic turnaround of Rashford’s performance. “For me, personally, it doesn’t really matter what anyone else does with you. I’m looking at him now, he seems to be telling himself, ‘I’m at that level that I want to be at’. That’s why he’s playing so well.”

READ MORE: “Viva Ronaldo”- Liverpool Fans Hilariously Shame Eric ten Hag as the Merseyside Team Laid Waste to Manchester United in a 7-0 Win

Nevertheless, the attacker went to take on a new challenge, thus signing a whopping $200 million-a-year deal with the Saudi Arabian side, Al-Nassr. The skipper is already making an impact on his new side and is in terrific form.

Manchester United endures shocking defeat

While Ronaldo is enjoying his life with his new club, Manchester United is enduring tough times after a tragic loss at Anfield. The Red Devils faced a shocking 7-0 defeat against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Braces from Gakpo, Nunez, and Salah, along with a goal from Firmino, demolished Ten Hag’s side. The win has brought Liverpool into fifth place, just seven points behind United, who are sitting in third place.

It was indeed a historic loss for United, however, it may be considered a major setback for Erik Ten Hag. But still, United must remain cautious for future encounters, as they have lost by this margin quite a few times.

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