Finding positives out of the wreckage of another miserable Manchester derby for United was a difficult task, but the manner of the defeat did at least allow Erik ten Hag to kick the can down the road when it comes to Cristiano Ronaldo's future at the club.
Ten Hag said he had ignored the possibility of bringing Ronaldo off the bench 'out of respect for his big career', suggesting the 37-year-old didn't deserve to be dragged into the fray with United 4-0 down at City fans in a jubilant mood.
United did make five changes at the Etihad and that included a substitution at centre-forward, with Anthony Martial replacing Marcus Rashford, who had taken Ronaldo's place in the starting XI after his return to fitness.
