Manchester United and Ten Hag need a clear-out, not another Ronaldo remix

Manchester United are halfway through their two-year contract with Cristiano Ronaldo, but will Erik ten Hag have a use for him next season?

“Manchester United were an embarrassment to their football club today,” said Alan Shearer on Saturday night’s Match of the Day, apparently furious on behalf of United supporters following their team’s 4-0 shellacking at Brighton earlier that evening. Gary Lineker interjected. “I think there’s one person this season who comes out of it with any kind of credit – apart from De Gea, who’s been excellent at times – is Cristiano Ronaldo. I don’t think he can believe what he’s seeing.” Jermaine Jenas was in full agreement with Gary. “He’s played in some great teams, let’s be honest, he’s probably just thinking, you know, ‘What is this? What is going on here? This is a crazy part of my career, and all he could do was laugh at the time. It doesn’t mean anything, he’s just very upset.”

He certainly had every reason to look unhappy. This wasn’t just that mild feeling of humiliation at losing to ‘teams like Brighton’ with which Manchester United have become rather too familiar this season. This was a new depth plumbed, a defeat that shone a very harsh light on the differences between a club of relatively modest resources and a plan versus a team which can summon up money at the click of the fingers but which has repeatedly been found repeatedly wanting in even the most basic of organisational senses.

Manchester United weren’t just bad against Brighton; they were season-definingly bad, and that’s saying something when we consider, say, their 5-0 home capitulation against Liverpool or their 4-1 defeat at Watford. It was the fifth time they’ve conceded four goals in the Premier League this season,