"Getting rid of Ronaldo was key" - Former Manchester United star hails Erik ten Hag for completely transforming Red Devils

Former Manchester United forward Garth Crooks has opined that getting rid of Cristiano Ronaldo was key to the Red Devils' transformation under Erik ten Hag this season.

Manchester United climbed up to third in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday (April 16). Goals from Antony and Diogo Dalot sealed the win for Ten Hag and Co. at the City Ground.

The Red Devils ensured that they picked up all three points against Steve Cooper's side despite missing several regular starters due to injury. Marcus Rashford, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Raphael Varane were all unavailable for the trip to Nottingham.

Crooks was particularly impressed with how the likes of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof stepped up in the absence of Ten Hag's first-choice defenders. He heaped praise on Manchester United's backline for keeping a clean sheet against the Tricky Trees.

"Manchester United were one of the few teams that kept a clean sheet this weekend, but what was special about it was United are ravaged by injuries," Crooks wrote in his BBC Sport column. "Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Diogo Dalot have not featured regularly in the first team this season, but you wouldn't have known that (going by) the way they performed against Nottingham Forest."

Crooks also reserved special praise for Dalot, who scored his first Premier League goal for the Old Trafford outfit, before turning his attention towards Ten Hag. The former forward lauded the Dutchman for transforming the squad following Ronaldo's exit in November.

"Dalot was outstanding in defense and always supportive in attack and took his goal like a seasoned striker," Crooks added. "All credit to Erik ten Hag, who has not just transformed the team but the entire squad since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure. Getting rid of Ronaldo was key to that."

The Red Devils were sixth in the standings after the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's final league game for the side but are now on course to secure a top-four finish. Several players also appear to be enjoying their lives following the forward's exit. Rashford, who scored four league goals in the first half of the season, has notably netted 11 times since December.

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Why did Cristiano Ronaldo leave Manchester United?

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United from Juventus in 2021, returning to the club 12 years after he had left for Real Madrid. He picked up right where he left off, bagging 24 goals and three assists from 38 appearances across competitions last season. He was the club's top scorer last term and also won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award.

However, the Portuguese icon fell down the pecking order after Ten Hag took charge at the start of the season, starting just four top-flight games till November. Frustrated with his situation, he launched an attack on the Dutchman in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.

That resulted in the Red Devils terminating his contract by mutual consent in November. Ronaldo has since joined Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr.