In the Premier League match against Brentford, Cristiano Ronaldo received his first start of the year, but it was a terrible first half for Manchester United. Manchester United’s situation continues to deteriorate.
Erik ten Hag will have had high expectations for a significant improvement when they traveled to Brentford for the Saturday afternoon matchup after a humiliating opening-day loss at home to Brighton.
But within minutes, it became clear that there was a real chance the Dutchman’s day at work may turn out to be much more discouraging. The Bees seized a well-earned lead with less than 10 minutes remaining, albeit under unfavorable circumstances. David de Gea let a shot slip under him and seep into the goal as Josh Dasilva tried his luck from a distance and defeated him.
Ten Hag reacted indignantly at it, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s gestures were in sharp contrast. The Portuguese striker pumped up his teammates and tried to motivate them to play again despite embarrassingly surrendering. Since allegations surfaced during the summer that Ronaldo wants to leave Old Trafford in quest of Champions League play, Ronaldo was making his first competitive start for United. The Portuguese superstar didn’t play until the second half of Brighton’s defeat last weekend, as Ten Hag surprised everyone by using Christian Eriksen as a false-nine.
