“The honeymoon period is well and truly over” – Noel Whelan issues warning to Cristiano Ronaldo amidst Manchester United concerns

Former Premier League forward Noel Whelan has insisted that the honeymoon period is over for Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he stressed the Portuguese is not the only reason behind the Red Devils' woes.

The Old Trafford outfit re-signed the 37-year-old forward from Serie A giants Juventus last summer. Ronaldo's return to Manchester United was one that excited the fans of the Premier League club.

The former Real Madrid superstar has often been the subject of criticism this season, Whelan feels Ronaldo is not the only party responsible for Manchester United's woes. The ex-Leeds striker, though, emphasized the need for Ronaldo to change his body language on the pitch. He told Football Insider:

“I think the honeymoon period is well and truly over for Ronaldo. The hype has settled down. But it’s not just about Cristiano Ronaldo – he’s not the only reason why they’re not getting results. There are a lot of players who need to look in the mirror. We all know he’s a serial winner, we can all respect what he’s achieved in the game. If there’s anyone who’s going to be unhappy about the way things are going, it’s him."

“I thought with the players they brought in that they would be challenging for the title. That being said, it’s not going to get any better with some of the facials and the body language on show, and especially not with the whinging you see on the pitch. Walking off and not clapping the fans – that’s just feeling sorry for yourself.”

Six months into his contract, it appears the Portugal international's second stint with the Red Devils has perhaps not gone according to plan. Ralf Rangnick's side are fighting for a place in the Premier League top four while Ronaldo himself is struggling for form.

Ronaldo has scored 15 goals and provided three assists in 27 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils so far this campaign.

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Manchester United stars unhappy with media claims involving Cristiano Ronaldo

Christian Falk of German daily Bild reported this week that the likes of Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford are not happy with Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to lead the Manchester United dressing room. However, the aforementioned players have since responded to those claims in one way or another.

According to Football Insider, the Red Devils stars have been 'raging' at the claims made by the media recently. Meanwhile, Ralf Rangnick also addressed claims of a rift between Ronaldo and other players in a press conference on Friday.

The interim manager dismissed claims that he was considering a change in the captaincy. Rangnick also confirmed that Maguire would remain the United captain till the end of the season.