“He wanted other people’s standards to come up” – Ex-Manchester United assistant explains ‘frustration’ between Cristiano Ronaldo and teammates

Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan recently opened up on Cristiano Ronaldo's tumultuous second spell at the club.

Ronaldo, 38, sealed a blockbuster return to Old Trafford from Juventus in 2021. The legendary forward's reunion with the Red Devils was viewed as the final step for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to return the club to its glory days.

However, that didn't happen as issues started to occur almost immediately due to Cristiano Ronaldo's high demands. The Portuguese legend was in fine form himself, scoring 24 goals in 39 games across competitions in the 2021-22 campaign. But United performed disappointingly as a team, finishing the season trophyless and sixth in the league.

Phelan was part of the coaching staff at the time after joining Manchester United to work with Solskjaer. He suggests Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford as a winner but possessed a tough mindset.

"The second time round, he came in a lot older and a lot more opinionated, strong-willed. He still had massively high standards and was terrific to work with. But I'd probably say a tougher mindset. He had been at Man Utd, he had been Portugal's ever-present, he had been at Madrid," Mike Phelan said.

There was tension throughout the second half of the campaign between Ronaldo and some of his teammates. Red Devils captain Harry Maguire was forced to play down claims that a power struggle cropped up between himself and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Phelan liked the winning mentality Ronaldo brought to the club during his second spell. However, he shed light on how his fellow teammates weren't so interested.

"I liked it because he didn't want his standards to drop, he wanted other people's standards to come up," Phelan continued. "And sometimes you lose a few people along the way when that happens. I remember certain times when he pushed and pushed hard, and he didn't get much reaction or much response. And there was frustration."

Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United by mutually terminating his contract last November. The five-time UEFA Champions League winner clashed with Solskjaer's permanent replacement Erik ten Hag.

The Dutch coach handed him a bit-part role during his sophomore season and he has since moved to Al Nassr where he has gotten back to his best.

"He's still playing international football, yes he's in Saudi Arabia, but he's still playing and scoring goals. He is doing all the things we knew he could do at Manchester United," Mike Phelan added.

Ronaldo has bagged 20 goals and seven assists in 24 games across competitions for Saudi Pro League giants Al Nassr. He captained his new club to the Arab Club Champions Cup last month.

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Cristiano Ronaldo hinted at issues with the new generation of players while at Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo's frustrations were clear.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United exit came after he gave an explosive interview to British broadcaster Piers Morgan. The Portuguese icon touched on many subjects, including how he viewed the younger players that were emerging.

The three-time Premier League champion claimed that the new generation was distracted. He made a comparison to his generation, saying (via Talk TV):

"They are not the same as my generation. But we cannot blame them because, it's part of the life, you know. They are not the same that, they listen but this is why we have two ears, as you listen from one side and (it goes) away from another side."

Cristiano Ronaldo continued by alluding to how his development came when studying the likes of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes. He added:

"It don't surprise me. But in the same way it's a little bit shame because if they have the best examples in front of your eyes, and if they don't at least copy what you did, for me, it's kind of weird, because I remember when I was 18, 19, 20, I'm always looked to see the best players when Van Nistelrooy, Ferdinand, Roy Keane, and Giggs."

Manchester United's love affair with Cristiano Ronaldo ended disappointingly but both have their arguments for their separation. The Red Devils went on to win their first trophy in six years after he departed when they won the Carabao Cup in February. They also finished third in the league and lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup final.