Erik ten Hag handles Cristiano Ronaldo as a Manchester United manager should in exchange vs Rayo Vallecano.
In their final preseason friendly at Old Trafford, Man United and Rayo Vallecano tied 1-1 thanks to goals from Amad and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The second tier’s flag, which pays tribute to Denis Law by reading “The King of the Stretford End,” is attached. He is The King, in Cristiano Ronaldo’s own words.
On Sunday, “the king,” as Ronaldo put it, would play. He started, not simply played. On his first Manchester United debut in 12 weeks, Ronaldo played for 45 minutes.
Ronaldo said “bye” before leaving Brighton that afternoon. It would have been a suitable epitaph, but the king is still alive and, if his fan following is any indication, long may he reign.
To the dismay of the thousands of youngsters whose summer vacation was enhanced by a Sunday spent with football royalty, Ronaldo had just one sighter and blazed that over. Within three minutes of his intermission introduction, Ronaldo’s replacement Amad scored at the Stretford End.
Their privilege was but a footnote on the day Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen first lined up in red at Old Trafford under the management of Erik ten Hag. Ronaldo was featured prominently.
There were banners for Cantona and Ronaldo on the stalls on Sir Matt Busby Way and Warwick Road. The ubiquity of “Ronaldo 7” shirts demonstrated that his followers’ adoration of him was unaffected by the uncertainties surrounding his future. This week, the Megastore ran out of junior-sized “7s,” depriving students of a Ronaldo jersey. or Fred perhaps Alex Telles.
A week before competitive football is played at Old Trafford, the homecoming of the monarch garnered an outstanding throng. Along with Sir Alex Ferguson, the United players who took part in Saturday’s friendly loss to Atletico Madrid in Oslo filled the directors’ box. Coleen Rooney, who had won, accompanied her son Kai, a member of the United academy, and added some glitz.
Ronaldo was first in line to come out of the tunnel for the warm-up to a mixed soundtrack of applause and chants of his trademark celebration, which should not be confused with booing. To capitalize on the cheers he received in return, Ronaldo dribbled the ball to the north stand before doing the same with the south stand.
In Perth last week, Ten Hag predicted that Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, and Marcus Rashford would make up United’s attacking four against Brighton. Sancho’s condition, United’s carelessness in Oslo, and Ronaldo’s debut might prompt a change of heart. if he’s still there in the club.
The game itself was the least gratifying of United’s six summer games since their second XI did not put any pressure on the regulars. Martinez and Eriksen both performed admirably and should be taken into account for a competitive full debut in a week.
Ten Hag’s clothing, which included a loose two-piece suit, sneakers, and no tie while holding a notepad, reminded one of a Silicon Valley start-up. As he reprimanded Donny van de Beek and then Tahith Chong, he showed no signs of showing preference for his countrymen. In response, Van van Beek sprung a breakaway that Ronaldo wasted, and Chong fired meekly with an odd choice right off the bat.
In the first ten seconds, Ethan Laird, who is moving to Watford for the season, was preoccupied, allowing Alvaro Garcia to receive a free kick that Tom Heaton saved. That enticed Ten Hag into the coaching booth, where he moved quickly to advance United up the field and signal Ronaldo to the sideline. During a break in play in the 34th minute, Ten Hag ran straight for Ronaldo, who didn’t seem to like the instruction.
During United’s preseason tour, Alejandro Garnacho logged 21,315 fly miles without participating, and it was obvious. His purpose and penetration accelerated United’s counterattacks on an afternoon when they battled to manage their opponent. The Argentinian was exuberant on the ball and delighted the crowd.
The twelve Vallecano supporters brought the smell of cordite back to matchday despite a crowd so childish that there was more fascination with paper airplanes drifting onto the field in the second half. They were engulfed in red smoke and a ruckus broke out as the police officers tried to take down their flag. Unbelievably, the Vallecano supporters did not return for the second half.
Martinez enjoyed his South American fight with Radamel Falcao, using his small stature to advantage in a harsh environment. Falcao, who is not a commanding figure, overshadowed the Argentine. Before being replaced with Eriksen and Martinez on the hour, Martinez’s physicality and passing range were evident.
Victor Lindelof’s starting spot for Norway against Brighton may be in jeopardy since Ten Hag wants to pair Harry Maguire and Martinez together. Because United’s midfield lacks depth, Scott McTominay will likely start every game.
