"Made it easy for him" - Nemanja Vidic explains how Cristiano Ronaldo's untimely departure from Manchester United helped Erik ten Hag
Nemanja Vidic has said that Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Manchester United has helped Erik ten Hag in the long run.
The Portugal icon ended the 2021-22 campaign as the club's top scorer with 24 goals in 38 games across competitions. However, his playing time under Ten Hag was minimal, starting just four times in the Premier League.
Ronaldo's apparent desire to play in the UEFA Champions League, coupled with his lack of opportunities at Manchester United, led to his exit by mutual consent in November.
One can't deny that Ronaldo's explosive interview with Piers Morgan earlier that month, where he took shots at Ten Hag among others, forced United to part ways with him. According to Vidic, the five-time Ballon d'Or's comments made it easier for the Dutchman to sever ties with the player.
The former Serbia international reckons Ronaldo's exit has enabled the Red Devils to play more like a team. One general criticism that has been levied against the 38-year-old in recent years is his work rate, or lack thereof, off the ball.
Vidic told Rio Ferdinand on the Five podcast, via Manchester Evening News:
"I think the Cristiano Ronaldo situation helped Ten Hag. What Cristiano Ronaldo said made it easy for him to do it (allow him to leave). I think in general he (Ten Hag) was patient with this situation and in the end he gets what he wants in terms of Man United playing more like a team than in the last four or five years."
Vidic, who retired in 2016, shared the pitch 131 times with Ronaldo during the latter's first spell at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo struggling for silverware after Manchester United exit
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Many saw it as a step down for him and expected him to win everything in sight in Saudi Arabia.
That hasn't been the case, though. While Manchester United won the EFL Cup in February and are in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, Al-Nassr are headed for a trophyless season.
Cristiano Ronaldo was ineffective as his team lost 3-1 to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup semifinals in January. He recently captained his team to a 1-0 King's Cup semifinal loss against Al-Wehda on April 24.
Faris Najd are second in the league with 53 points from 24 games. Rivals Al-Ittihad hold a three-point lead over them with a game in hand. That means Ronaldo could go trophyless for two straight seasons for the first time in his career.