Cristiano Ronaldo believes that his former club, Manchester United, must undertake a comprehensive rebuilding process from the ground up if they are to once again compete for top titles. The 39-year-old Portuguese forward, who won three Premier League titles, the Champions League, and a Club World Cup during his initial stint at United from 2003-2009, expressed his continued affection for the club, which finished eighth in the league last season.
In an interview on the 'Rio Ferdinand Presents' podcast, set to air on Thursday, Ronaldo praised the club's administrators, led by INEOS boss Jim Ratcliffe, for their investment in infrastructure. 'They need to rebuild everything, in my opinion... the club needs time to rebuild because it's still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change. They understand that this is the only way,' British media quoted him as saying.
'I believe that the future will be bright. I believe, but they don't depend only on the talents. They have to rebuild from the bottom. If not, they cannot compete. It will be impossible.'
United manager Erik Ten Hag has already faced pressure after two defeats in their opening three games. Ronaldo suggested that Ten Hag should rely on his former United teammate, Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was hired as an assistant coach. 'You cannot rebuild a club without knowledge,' he said. 'I believe that Ruud is going to help because he was inside the club. He knows the club, he knows the fans. If the coach listens to him, I think they can improve a little bit the club.'
United, currently 14th in the league, are set to visit Southampton on Saturday.
