Manchester United finally opened their Europa League account with a comfortable 2-0 victory against Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday.
With no Premier League games until next month, this was the last chance for the team to get some minutes before the all-important Manchester Derby.
Erik ten Hag picked his strongest possible team and will be delighted with the performances of the midfield and defense, something he acknowledged late in the match.
One of the biggest takeaways from the match was that Cristiano Ronaldo finally opened his account for the season with a precisely executed first-half penalty.
This has taken on additional importance due to the fact that the Portuguese is the only fit striker at Ten Hag’s disposal at the moment with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial out injured.
CR7 back on track
The 37-year-old’s first goal in eight appearances this season and 699 of his club career will give him and the team a lot of confidence going forward and this was mentioned by the manager.
“Ronaldo needed that goal. He many times he approached [in the season so far]but I wanted it so much. We were happy for him, and the team wanted to bring him a goal. You know Cristiano will score a penalty”, Ten Hag had said at the end of the Sheriff’s match.
And the former Ajax manager was quick to highlight how Ronaldo’s form is steadily improving and his focus is entirely on United rather than exiting as mentioned in many reports.
“He has to work very hard and invest to be fit and then he will score more goals. You can see that he is very close. When he is in shape, he will finish them.”
“I think he is fully committed to this project and fully committed to this team. Totally involved. You also see connections around him and he is building connections so I am happy with that,” Ten Hag told the club’s media team.
Last season, reports abounded about disharmony in the squad and how Ronaldo was a disruptive influence in the dressing room. But the reaction of United’s current stars highlights the change in the dressing room dynamic under the Dutch manager.
And this review?!? ???? Learning too much every day!! @Christian!! ???????? ???????? @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/7qcx41gMUC
– Antonio Santos (@antony00) September 16, 2022
United’s record purchase this summer, Antony posted a photo with Ronaldo captioned: “Learning too much every day!!”
Full Screen Squad Harmony
All the big stars ended up clashing with the Portuguese last season, but that is no longer the case with Ten Hag. Quite a few players came out and praised Ronaldo after his goal against the Moldovan opposition.
Jadon Sancho, the night’s other goalscorer, was all praise for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, mentioning that the team as a whole was happy for the former Real Madrid star and now hoped he would continue.
“When Cristiano scores, when his confidence is high, he can score one, two, three, four,” Sancho told MUTV. “So, we’re happy for him.”
Lisandro Martinez was another player who came out and praised Ronaldo and once again mentioned how the entire squad was delighted by United’s number 7.
“We know how great Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals are. It is very important that he scored tonight for his confidence and for the team. We won 2-0 and it’s great for us,” he said.
The current mood in the team is a far cry from the one that prevailed last season and fans are hoping this will continue to elevate the team’s game ahead of October’s tight schedule.
