“It was probably the wrong choice for all of us,” Solskjaer admitted during an interview on the NRK podcast, reflecting on the decision to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Manchester United. However, the Norwegian coach defended the move, stating, “We felt it was the right decision at the time.”

Solskjaer pointed to tactical concerns as a key issue during Ronaldo’s second stint. He revealed that one of his assistants, Kieran McKenna, raised a critical question before the Portuguese star’s signing: “How are we going to defend ourselves?”

This isn’t the first time Solskjaer has pointed to Ronaldo’s arrival as a factor in Manchester United’s collective struggles. Speaking on Stick to Football, the former manager explained, “With the ball, with him in the team, it was no problem. Without it, we had to change a little bit the different roles we’d gotten used to.”

He further elaborated on the tactical compromise required to integrate Ronaldo, saying, “We were one of the highest pressing teams before.” While Solskjaer admitted it felt like the right decision at the time, he conceded, “It was the right decision to make for me… It didn’t turn out to be the right one.“

Ronaldo at Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first stint at Manchester United, from 2003 to 2009, was marked by extraordinary success. In 292 games, he scored 118 goals and provided 61 assists, helping the team win 10 major titles, including three Premier League trophies and the Champions League.

However, his second stint painted a contrasting picture. Despite a strong individual goal-scoring record—27 goals in 54 appearances—Ronaldo’s return yielded no silverware, and his tenure lasted just 18 months.

Ronaldo and Solskjaer’s relationship

Despite the challenges on the pitch, Ronaldo’s respect for Solskjaer never wavered. The two shared a close relationship, having been teammates between 2003 and 2007 before reuniting as coach and player in 2021.

“I love Solskjaer. He’s a top person,” Ronaldo said during an interview with Piers Morgan. “What I keep inside my heart, it’s the heart of the persons. And Ole for me, is a top person… It’s hard. It’s hard to assume after Sir Alex Ferguson, but I think he did a good job for sure.”

Why Ronaldo left Manchester United

The turbulent 2021–22 season saw Manchester United part ways with Solskjaer in November, leaving the team under interim management for the rest of the campaign. In the summer of 2022, Erik ten Hag was brought in with a clear vision for the club, but Ronaldo didn’t fit into those plans.

As his playing time diminished and tensions with Ten Hag escalated, Ronaldo ultimately departed for Al-Nassr in late 2022. Ten Hag, meanwhile, struggled to elevate Manchester United to the level of their Premier League rivals Manchester City and Liverpool and was dismissed in October this year.

Fans at the Old Trafford were eagerly awaiting for the Portuguese star to come back ever since he left for Real Madrid in 2009. Ronaldo got off to a great start, but eventually, things didn’t go to plan.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted explained that signing Ronaldo back then was tempting, but it went wrong.

Solskjaer on Ronaldo’s return to United in 2021: ‘It turned out wrong’

“Bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back was a decision that was difficult to turn down and I felt we had to take it, but it turned out wrong. It felt so right when he signed — he was still one of the best goalscorers in the world…When you have a group you need everyone to pull in the same direction,” Solskjaer said.

At first, it looked like everything would work out perfectly for Ronaldo in his second spell in Manchester. Cristiano sent the Old Trafford wild in his first game back, scoring a brace in a 4-1 win over Newcastle.

To be fair, the 5x Ballon d’Or winner did quite well that season, scoring 24 goals in 38 appearances. United, on the other hand, struggled to get results and Solskjaer was fired halfway through the season.

Why did Ronaldo leave Manchester United?

After a short stint under Ralph Rangnick as interim coach, the club hired Erik ten Hag, and that’s when everything changed for Ronaldo. The Dutchman dropped CR7 from the starting eleven, and the veteran striker eventually voiced his frustration in a bombshell interview. Shortly after that, he terminated his Man Utd deal and joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr as a free agent in January 2023.

Manchester City are still chasing the Triple Crown in yet another great season. They are the Premier League leaders with a one-point advantage over Arsenal, but they are also well-positioned to go for the other two titles.

The Citizens are set to host Real Madrid next Wednesday in the Champions League semifinals following a 1-1 tie at Santiago Bernabeu. Their other opportunity to lift another trophy is the upcoming FA Cup final vs Manchester United.

They rely on the team to win, although having Erling Haaland makes things way easier for them. The best striker in the world signed with Manchester City prior to this season. However, he had a chance to become a Red Devil a while ago via Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Solskjaer reveals Manchester United could have signed Haaland

The rise of Haaland in the sport has been meteoric. He showed a lot of promise at Salzburg, so Borussia Dortmund decided to get him. They were able to enjoy his goals, although not for as much as they would have wanted because big clubs like Manchester City were already after his services.

It was right before all those moves when Solskjaer said a move to Manchester United was possible. Solskjaer and Haaland not only share the nationality, but the older Norwegian was also the coach of the player in his beginnings. They shared time together at Molde, although the former Red Devil saw a big potential in the striker and decided to call his ex-club to get him for an unbelievably low price.

“I called United about six months before I took over and told them that I’d got this striker that we had but they didn’t listen. I asked for £4million for Haaland but they didn’t sign him”, Solskjaer said in an event according to The Sun. Haaland was only 18 back then, although that mistake is something that they will regret very often specially because he now plays for their town rivals.

For a long time, the Red Devils seemed to have lost their identity while their performances left a lot to be desired. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looked like the right man to take over and restore peace when things weren’t going as expected under Jose Mourinho, and at the beginning, he did a good job.

But after nearly three years at the helm, the outlook has changed. He has failed to win silverware and the start to the 2021-22 season has been a complete disappointment.Therefore, reports claim United’s hierarchy wanta former Real Madrid boss to take over in Manchester.

Man United reportedly eye former Real Madrid coach to take over

A dismal start to the Premier League while struggling to get results in the Champions League have put Solskjaer under heavy fire. The embarrassing defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City have only made things worse and his job could be in serious danger if he doesn’t turn things around soon.

United turned down the possibility of hiring Antonio Conte, who eventually signed with Tottenham, but they are reportedly keen on landing another coach: Zinedine Zidane. According to The Times, the club expects that Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varaneplay a part in persuading the Frenchman to accept the challenge.

Zidane is currently without a club after stepping down from Real Madrid at the end of last season, following a sour campaign for Los Blancos. The 49-year-old, however, has been able to lead them to European glory for three consecutive years during his tenure, while he also guided Madrid to two La Liga titles.

Ronaldo, Varaneexpected to convince Zidane

Ronaldo and Varane have a great memory of those times working under Zidane. Therefore, United hope they can make the best of their relationship with the French manager to convince him to take the reins of the team.

Zidane, however,may have made it clear that he doesn’t want to join a club with the season already started andprefers to start from scratch in the summer with a pre-season ahead of him instead.

But we can’t disregard the possibility of a change of plans. The opportunity of taking over a big club while re-joining with the likes of Ronaldo and Varane isn’t something that happens every day.

Following a great transfer window in which the Red Devils spent more than $180 millionlanding the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Jadon Sancho, the expectations were high for a team that has been lacking true success since Sir Alex Ferguson‘s era.

However, United have already suffereda number of embarrassing performances early in the campaign, losing by five to lifelong rivals Liverpool, falling to defeat in other Premier League affairs, while struggling at the beginning of the UEFA Champions League. Therefore, it should be no surprise that after another dismal result questions are also raised in the locker room.

Ronaldo, Fernandes reportedly among Man United players frustrated with team’s struggles under Solskjaer

Solskjaer has been in the hot seat over the last few weeks since his team has struggled to perform as expected while dropping points in shameful fashion. Not even their 3-0 win over Tottenham restored peace for long as City exposed United’s weaknesses in an embarrassing derby defeat.

According to the Daily Mail, the situation has the Red Devils’ players concerned and belief in Solskjaer may have decreased after Sunday’s loss. The report claims that Bruno Fernandes is among a group of players who are growing frustrated as theyfeelthe team doesn’thave a clear direction from the Norwegian and his staff.

Meanwhile, it is also understood that Cristiano Ronaldo is quite shocked as he apparently feels the club’s standards have significantly dropped over the 12 years he was out of United.

Additionally, the locker room is also believed to be unhappy with Solskjaer’s judgement when it comes to the first team, as there’s concern that he has favoritism to pickcertain players over others. Marcus Rashford, for instance, has reportedly missed Thursday and Friday’s practices with flu but came off the bench on Sunday anyway, while Jesse Lingard was once again not given a chance.

The report adds that teammates feel Donny van de Beek has been mistreated by the Norwegian coach, who has barely given playing time to the former Ajax midfielder. Whether Solskjaer is able to turn things around remains to be seen. In the meantime, the international break couldbe useful for him to work with his sights set on bouncing back once club competition resumes.

However, their start to the campaignleft a lot to be desired. United dropped points early in the tournament and they didn’t get off to a great start to the UEFA Champions League either. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has beenin the eye of the storm, although he still has the support of the board.

But that won’t last longif his side doesn’t turn things around soon, of course. Because, at the end of the day, all they care about is results. And the club has made a huge investment to get back to the top this season. So, Solskjaer might make tough decisions in order to do what’s best for the team and keep his job.

Five Manchester United players who Solskjaer would let leave

Solskjaer knew this season would be crucial for his future at Manchester United as he failed to bring silverware in the past two campaigns. Now, United really look like a title-contending team – so he must prove if he can live up to the expectations.

As he is under pressure to get results, the Swedish manager is reportedly considering letting five players leave come January. According to The Sun, these are the five names who could see the way out in winter: Donny Van de Beek, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Victor Lindelof, and Phil Jones.

The list makes sense as none of them are regular starters for Ole and some of them have been heavily linked with a move away in the near future. Van de Beek has failed to impress after a sensational move from Ajax, while Martial lost his place with Ronaldo’s arrival, and Lingard is also understood to be looking for a transfer.

Spurs would have made the effort, as it might be the only way for them to finally achieve titles. Paying exorbitant figures to big-name players or coaches not always proves to bethe onlyway to reach the top, but many times it pays off.

If not, just take a look at the list of the best-paid managers in the league, according to The Sun. Not all of them had succeeded as expected, but they have earned the right to receive such wages. Moreover, it would besafe to say that some of these deserve to be paid even more.

6. Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)

Annual salary: $8.5 million

The Champions League-winningcoach has seen an increase in his salary after leading Chelsea to European glory. The German boss originally signed an 18-month deal in January which had an extension optionshould the Blues won the continental prize. Still, it seems like Thomas Tuchel deserves a bigger reward, which he might earn if his teamkeeps on succeeding.

5. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United)

Annual salary: $9 million

The club idol has strengthened himself at the position after impressing in his first months replacing José Mourinho at the end of the 2018/19 season. Even though Manchester United had setbacks and failed to claim trophies in Solskjaer’s era so far, the Swedish coach has been securing Champions League soccer for them and the upcoming season mightbe crucial for his future.

4. Marcelo Bielsa (Leeds United)

Annual salary: $9.7 million

The highly praisedArgentine coach has been granted a lucrative wage in Leeds United even though that has not beenhis priority throughout his career. After taking the Whitesback to the English top-flight for the first time in 16 years, Marcelo Bielsa gotthe recognition he deservedat Elland Road and he is expected to stay for at least one more season in charge of the team.

3. Brendan Rodgers (Leicester City)

Annual salary: $12 million

Brendan Rodgers has redeemed himself in the Premier League with Leicester City. His tenure at Liverpool didn’t end well and he had to start from scratch in Celtic before returning to England. The Foxes couldn’t be happier with him, as the 48-year-old boss led them to their first FA Cup triumph in history and was also close to getting them into the top-four last season.

2. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Annual salary: $18 million

Klopp, 53, hasbrought glory days back toLiverpoolleading them to two straight UEFA Champions League finals, winning the second one, and turning them into an unstoppable force in the Premier League 2019/20, in which the Reds were crowned for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 1992.Last season wasn’t the best at Anfield, though, and they have plenty of work to do to bounce back.

1. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)

Annual salary: $24 million

One of the best managers on the planet – and for many people one that haschanged the game forever – Pep Guardiola was appointed by Manchester City to make them one of the most powerful sides in the world, a task he has certainly accomplished so far. He couldn’tfulfill the club’s main obsession, though, which is securing its first Champions League trophy. His squad came up short recently, but he still has two more years of contract to keep on chasing that long-awaited goal.

With remarkable 20 League titles, 12 FA Cups, five League Cups, and a record 21 FA Group Shields, Manchester United has won more trophies than any other team in English soccer. In addition, they can boast of three UEFA Champions Leaguetrophies, one UEFA Europa League, one UEFA Winners’ Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup.

Manchester United has plied its trade withnumerousyoung players. For this club, the likes of Bobby Charlton, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes have giventheir best and won lots of collective and individual trophies and accolades.

20. Dimitar Berbatov– 56 goals

On September 1, 2008, Berbatov transferred to Manchester United, costing the club $40 million, after agreeing a four-year contract. An interesting fact is that Tottenham had already rejected a Manchester City offer, so things could have turned out different.

Berbatov scored a total of 56 goals in 149 games for the Old Trafford giant. He wore the No.9 jersey for United until 2012 when he moved to Fulham. The Bulgarian retired in September 2019.

19. Robin van Persie– 58 goals

On August 17, 2012, for an estimated fee of $30 million, Van Persie left Arsenal to switch alliances to Manchester United. He agreed a four-year deal maintaining him at the club until June 2016, picking the No.20 jersey.

Van Persie featured in 105 games for the Red Devils across all competitions, managing 58 total goals. The Dutchman left the Old Trafford for the Turkish side Fenerbahce in summer 2015. He has been retired since May 2019.

18. Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez– 59 goals

In October 2009, Manchester United becamefirst aware of Guadalajara’s striker Hernandez; that December, a scout went to Mexico and the impressions were positive. On April 8, 2010, Chicharito agreed to sign a contract with Manchester United for an undisclosed fee.

Chicharito was given the jersey No.14. With it, he netted a total of 59 goals in 157 games for the Red Devils in all competitions. After spending the 2014-15 season on loan at Real Madrid, he left United for good in summer 2015, when he moved to Bayer Leverkusen. He is currently featuring for LAGalaxy in the MLS.

17. Dwight Yorke– 65 goals

Aston Villa sold Dwight Yorke to Manchester United on August 20, 1998, for a reported fee of $16 million. Yorke was a vital player in his first season, leading his club to a treble of the Premier League title, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League.

The ex-Trinidad and Tobago striker wore the No.19 jersey number. He scored 65 total goals in 152 matches for Manchester United in all competitions. His stay at the Old Trafford lasted four years, as he departed for Blackburn Rovers in summer 2004. Yorke retired in 2009.

16. Anthony Martial– 76 goals

Martial completed a move from Monaco to Manchester United on September 1, 2015. He signed a four-year deal worth $46 million. This was the highest transfer fee charged to a teenager, shattering Luke Shaw’s previous record of $35 million United paid a year earlier.

Having started with the No.9, but had to give it up upon the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2016. Three years, the Frenchman reclaimed his old jersey number back. Martial has played 241games for Man Utd so far, scoring 76goals in total.

15. Marcus Rashford– 81 goals

Rashford is a well-known Manchester United academy product. He spent 10 years passing through their youth teams, from 2005 to 2015, and was included in the first team in early 2015. Rashford made his Red Devils debut in 2016.

Even though he is still 23 years old, Rashford has worn three jersey numbers for United so far: No. 39, No.19, and the most recent one, No.10. Up to this day, the English forward has featured in 240 games for Man Utd, marking 81 goals in total.

14. Eric Cantona– 81 goal

On November 26, 1992, Cantona left Leeds for Manchester United for a sum of $1.5 million. The announcement of the imminent transfer of Cantona to a fierce rival was greeted with bitterness by the Leeds fans.

The Frenchman went on to feature in 179 games in all competitions for United and scored 81 goals. They were his last club in his career, as he retired in 1997, after spending 5 years in Manchester full of different individual and club accolades.

13. David Beckham– 85 goals

David Beckham spent two years at the United youth academy, before breaking through to the first team in 1992. He made his first-team debut in September 1992 but signed a professional contract with the club on January 23, 1993.

The former midfielder stayed more than a decade in Manchester, as he left for Real Madrid in 2003. Beckham netted 85 goals in 387 total matches for Man U. He retired in 2013 after spending the season at Paris Saint-Germain. At the moment, the 45-year-old is the owner of Inter Miami.

12. David Herd– 88 goals

David Herd featured for Stockport County and Arsenal, before joining Manchester United in 1961. In 1965 and 1967, he helped the club win the English League Championship.

The Scotsman made 156 total appearances wearing the Red jersey, and he scored 88 goals across all competitions. Herd went on to play for Stoke City in 1968, before ending his career with Waterford in 1971. He died on October 1, 2016.

11. Mark Hughes– 92 goals

Hughes is another former United academy player, who was introduced into the first team in 1980. For three years, though, he did not make his first-team debut. After debuting in 1983, he went on to stay another three years, before leaving for Barcelona in 1986.

In 1988, the Welshman returned at the Old Trafford for a second spell, which lasted longer than the first one, until 1995. In total, he scored 92 goals for Manchester United in 256 games in his two spells at the Old Trafford.

10. Sir Bobby Charlton– 101 goals

Sir Bobby Charlton is also one of the most successful United’s academies products, spending three years in their youth ranks. He entered the first team in 1956 and made his debut later in October.

Robert Charlton made history with the club and continued to do so for 17 years, until 1973 when he joined Preston North End. He scored 101 goals for United on 354 occasions. The ex-attacking midfielder retired in 1980 with Blacktown City.

9. George Best–116 goals

Best spent two seasons in the Manchester United academy before being launched into the first team in 1963. In September 1963, he made his first-team debut, marking the beginning of what turned out to be an 11-year stay in Manchester.

He left a grand mark at United, having scored 116 times in 303 total appearances. The Northern Ireland international had a very colorful career after departing from the Red Devils in 1974, as he played for 16 different clubs in a decade, before hanging his boots in 1984. George Best died on November 25, 2005.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo– 118 goals

When he had left Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2003, Ronaldo became the first Portuguese player to ever play for Manchester United. His transfer fee of $6 million made him the all-time most expensive teenager in English soccer.

Wearing the famous No.7 jersey, he took on the world with United, marking 118 goals in 292 games in the Red jersey. He stayed for six years at the Old Trafford, leaving for Real Madrid in 2009. The 35-year-old forward is currently featuring for Juventus in Serie A.

7. Andy Cole– 121 goals

In a shock deal for Newcastle, Andrew Cole saw himself moving to Manchester United on January 10, 1995, for a price of $9 million, setting a new record for the most lucrative British move. Cole managed to score 12 goals in just 18 Premier League matches for United, even though he joined halfway through the 1994-95 season.

He spent six years wearing the Man Utd jersey, as he left in 2001 for Blackburn Rovers. While at Manchester, he netted 121 goals in a total of 274 games. In 2008, he opted to retire, playing last for Nottingham Forest.

6. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer– 127 goals

Solskjær joined Manchester United on July 29, 1996, in a shocking move, for he was almost unknown outside his home country. The Norwegian was expected to be an alternative to Eric Cantona and Andy Cole, but he imminently proved to be a vital asset to Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad.

Solskjaer spent 11 years at United, marking 127 goals in 365 games in all competitions. They were, in fact, his final club of the career, as he said ‘farewell’ to professional football in 2007. Ole is the current head coach at Manchester United, after being assigned in 2018.

5. Ruud van Nistelrooy– 150 goals

Interestingly, Ruud van Nistelrooy was supposed to become a Man Utd player in early 2000. However, his move from PSV Eindhoven was scuppered after he suffered a rupture to his anterior cruciate knee ligaments. One year later, he did make his dream move to the Old Trafford.

The Dutchman went on to become of the world’s most prolific striker, scoring 150 times in 219 matches for the Red Devils during his five-year spell. He switched to Real Madrid in 2006 and hung up his boots in 2012. He is now the PSV Eindhoven Under-19 coach and the assistant manager for the Netherlands.

4. Paul Scholes– 152 goals

Paul Scholes is one of the rare one-club players in the world who spent their entire careers playing for only one club. The former midfielder spent two seasons in United’s academy before being called into the senior squad in 1993. He debuted for the first team the next season.

Scholes hung up his boots in 2011, after spending 18 years at Man Utd. However, due to an injury crisis the following season, he opted to come back to help his team. During his two spells, the Englishman made 709 total appearances at Manchester, celebrating 152 goals. The 45-year-old is the current caretaker of Salford City.

3. Denis Law– 160 goals

One season after leaving Manchester City, Denis Law returned to the city in 1962, this time with Manchester United. A fun fact is that, with a total of 46 successful targets in one season, he holds the record of the most goals in a competitive season.

In 254 games across all competitions from 1962 to 1973, the former Scottland striker scored 160 goals overall. He then returned for another spell at City prior to retiring in 1974.

2. Ryan Giggs– 161 goals

Giggs played for both Manchester clubs’ academies, but the ones who gave him the first-team call-up were Manchester United. Just like Paul Scholes, he spent his entire professional career on the red side of the city.

The Welshman featured in unreachable 928 games for United, scoring a total of 161 goals down the road. He retired in 2014, after spending 24 years with the English giants. The 46-year-old is the current head coach of Wales.

1. Wayne Rooney– 235 goals

Everton were forced to sell Rooney in summer 2004, once the player sent a transfer request. Eventually, a $33 million deal was agreed with Manchester United, as it was the largest fee ever paid to a player under 20 years of age, and Rooney was just 18 at the time.

The then-youngster started with the No.8 jersey but later switched to No.10. In the period of 13 years, the forward made 559 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, and he netted on 253 occasions. At 35 years of age, Rooney is playing for Derby County currently.