"Pipe down" - Piers Morgan slams Manchester United fans for disrespecting Cristiano Ronaldo

British journalist Piers Morgan has torn into Manchester United fans who are thanking him for his role in Cristiano Ronaldo's departure. The iconic Portuguese attacker left Old Trafford last November.

Erik ten Hag's side confirmed their place in the UEFA Europa League last 16 with a brilliant 2-1 (4-3 aggregate) comeback win over Barcelona on Thursday (February 23). The Red Devils are still alive in four competitions and have impressed despite Ronaldo's absence.

Fans have been prodding a stick at Morgan for how he opened the door for Ronaldo to depart last November. He has reacted on Twitter by slamming the fans and comparing Manchester United's recent history with that of the Real Madrid legend. He said:

"Memo to all (Manchester United) fans thanking me for 'getting Ronaldo out of the club'."

He added:

"In the past 10yrs, you've won zero League titles & zero Champions Leagues. In the same period, Ronaldo's won 4 League titles, 4 Champions Leagues, a Euro Championship & 4 Ballon d'Ors. Pipe down."

Manchester United came to an agreement with Ronaldo, 38, over a mutual termination of his contract. That decision came after he had given an explosive interview with Morgan on TalkTV.

In the interview, he touched on several subjects regarding his second spell at Manchester United. Ronaldo claimed that the club had betrayed him and that he did not respect manager Erik ten Hag.

He struggled for game time under Ten Hag, scoring just three goals in 16 games across competitions. He was also suspended by the Red Devils' boss after refusing to come on as a substitute in a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in October.

Manchester United have lost just one game since Ronaldo left in November, and that was against league leaders Arsenal.

They're third in the league, trailing the Gunners by five points, having played a game more. Their last defeat before that was a 3-1 reverse against Aston Villa, which was Ronaldo's last appearance for the club.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo is enjoying himself in the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr. He has bagged five goals in as many appearances following his blockbuster move to the Middle East.

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Manchester United's Marcus Rashford reaches Cristiano Ronaldo tally of last season

Marcus Rashford has been irrepressible in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence.

Cristiano Ronaldo's first season back at Old Trafford was impressive from his perspective. The Portuguese striker bagged 24 goals in 39 games across competitions.

There were concerns that his absence would wreck Ten Hag's side's attack, with the question boding as to who could replace him. Up stepped Rashford who has been on fire all season.

The English forward has already equalled Ronaldo's record from the 2021-22 campaign, scoring 24 goals in 37 games.

He's enjoying the best season of his career to date. Rashford needs to score 28 more goals to reach Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 145 overall goals for the club. However, he has plenty of time to achieve that feat.