EPL 2021-22 Cristiano Ronaldo warns he is not in Manchester United to compete in the 7th place
Manchester United star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, however, believes interim boss Ralf Rangnick can do a good job at Old Trafford if given more time.
FollowManchester United star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed that it is not acceptable for the 20-time Premier League champions to aim for anything less than a top-three finish, adding that he is not at Old Trafford to compete for the 7th spot. The Red Devils have endured a disappointing season so far, seeing former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced with interim boss Ralf Rangnick in December post defeats against Leicester, Liverpool and Watford.
Although Rangnick has steadied the United ship with four wins from seven games, conceding just three goals, the club remains at 7th place in Premier League - 22 points behind leaders Manchester United after 19 matches. The home defeat against Wolves on January 3 has been the lowest point of the German manager's tenure so far.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Cristiano Ronaldo said that Manchester United can't close the gap on their top-four rivals if they do not have the right mentality. "I don't accept that our mentality is less than being in the top three in the Premier League. To build up good things, sometimes you have to destroy a few things. So why not - new year, new life, and I hope that Manchester (United) can be the fans' level. They deserve that," the 36-year-old forward added.
Insisting that Manchester United can change things, Ronaldo added that he is aware of how to do so but will not mention it because it is not ethical to speak about it. "What I can say is we can do better - all of us. Manchester United belongs to important things, so we have to change that," the Portugal international told Sky Sports.
Ronaldo left no stone unturned to highlight that he is at Old Trafford to win and compete, adding that the club has a long way to go. "I don't want to be here to be in sixth, or seventh, or fifth place. I'm here to try to win, to compete. I think we compete, but we are not yet in our best level. But we have a long way to improve and I believe if we change our mind, we can achieve big things."
However, the Manchester United legend backed interim boss Ralf Rangnick to do the job at Old Trafford, insisting that the German needs moat time to implement his ideas."Since he arrived five weeks ago, he changed many thinmindsBut he needs time to put his ideas across to the players. It takes time, but I believe that he will do a good job. We know we aren't playing the best football, but we have many games to improve," Ronaldo insisted.
The 36-year-old, who moved to Manchester United from Juventus last year, has scored eight goals in 16 appearances. Although the star striker is confident that interim manager Rangnick can change the team's fortunes, he sympathised with former coach Solskjaer. When asked about how has his journey at Old Trafford been in the last few months, Ronaldo said, "Not easy, to be honest. We changed Ole, then Michael Carrick, and this new coach. It's difficult when you change so much; it's always tough."
"It's always sad and tough. Ole used to play with me before, and now he was the coach. A fantastic person. When he left everybody was sad, but it's part of football. When things don't go the way the club wants, the club has to change. I was disappointed, but we have to understand the club. It was difficult, but life continues," Ronaldo remarked.
However, Ronaldo believes that the team can pull off a good season. "We know it's going to take time to make the ideas of the new coach on the pitch. But I'm looking forward. We have to work hard; we have to be together as players. We know we are not in the best moment, but I believe with working hard we can achieve important things, even this year," the striker concluded.
