The heavyweight boxing champion questions CR7’s impact at Old Trafford.
The underwhelming performances of Manchester United’s youngsters last season was a result of Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence, according to Tyson Fury.
Most Man United players underperformed during the team’s disastrous 2021-22 campaign. The Red Devils remained inconsistent throughout the season, finishing sixth in the Premier League.
Ronaldo was one of the few United players who maintained his good form despite the team’s struggles. The 37-year-old was United’s top scorer, directly contributing to 24 goals.
However, Fury believes Ronaldo’s talismanic presence has done more harm than good.
The heavyweight boxing champion told The Mirror: “It’s good news Ronaldo is staying on. But here’s a theory: when they didn’t have him the season before last, they finished second in the Premier League, then we had Ronaldo and we finished sixth.
“People will say, ‘Well, if we hadn’t had him scoring 20 goals we’d have finished a lot lower last season’, but we didn’t the season before and we finished a lot higher.
“When you have a superstar like Ronaldo, everybody relies on him to score goals. And if he wasn’t there they’d be scoring the goals themselves, like they did the season before last.
“I’m not saying he’s a bad asset. He’s a great asset, but sometimes with a star player, he carries the team and the young people are overshadowed by it all. They don’t get their chance to shine because ‘the great Ronaldo’ is on the pitch.”
United will play their first game under Erik ten Hag when they face arch-rivals Liverpool in a friendly game on July 12.
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Manchester United
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
