Erik ten Hag can start Manchester United rebuild with Cristiano Ronaldo decision

The disconnect between Cristiano Ronaldo and his Manchester United teammates couldn't have been starker. While most of his colleagues tentatively approached the away end at Brentford, the forward took a step or two in that direction before ignoring orders to go over, turning on his heels and heading for the tunnel.

Ronaldo's hand gestures made it clear he wanted no part of the invective that was spewing back from the United end towards a squad that continues to plumb new depths. It was a familiar scene at the end of last season.

At the Amex Stadium in May, Ronaldo was spared the indignation of a furious away end after another 4-0 defeat to a mid-table team. That day he left the stadium on his own.

READ MORE: The five-step plan to turn season around

On the pitch, Ronaldo isn't United's biggest problem at the moment, but the arguments against a separation this summer are becoming increasingly thin on the ground.

The 37-year-old has made it abundantly clear he wants out and tensions are evidently simmering, between Ronaldo and some of his teammates and maybe even the manager, given the forward's tetchy touchline chat with Erik ten Hag in the friendly against Rayo Vallecano.

Ronaldo is the best source of goals in this team, but he doesn't represent the future and that is all that is left for Ten Hag to focus on. This season already feels like a lost cause.

United are bottom of the Premier League after two games and the top four feels almost impossible already. The five sides that finished above United last season are all stronger now, while this squad is weaker.

Ten Hag's decision to haul the players in on their day off on Sunday and flog them hard in a running session is a clear sign of how he intends to right the sinking