Louis Saha claims Manchester United would have avoided their 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool if they still had their former number seven Cristiano Ronaldo in the side.
Erik ten Hag's side fell to their heaviest defeat since 1931 when they were torn apart by their rivals after a feckless second-half showing at Anfield.
United went into the break one goal behind before capitulating, as they conceded another six goals without replying after the restart.
Read next: United defender has accidentally solved an unlikely headache
It could be well go down as the worst standalone result in the history of the club, and former forward Saha believes it could have been avoided had Ronaldo still been there to help.
The 38-year-old has since joined Saudi Professional League club Al Nassr after his United contract was terminated last year, but Saha suggested that United would have fared better with the Portuguese international in the starting XI against Liverpool.
“Ronaldo’s departure marked a fresh start for United, and it gave Ten Hag a blank page to draw upon, which has allowed him to establish a winning mentality at the club," Saha told Compare.bet.
"Now that the club’s mindset has improved, I think they’d be doing even better if they had Cristiano up top. Of course, it’s hard to know for sure, but when I see United losing 7-0 to Liverpool, I can only think that Cristiano could have helped.”
Saha acknowledged that United have been a much better side since his former teammate left, but claims that Ronaldo should still be somewhat thanked for their recent resurgence.
He added: “With all respect to Cristiano’s legacy, and his record at United – which more or less speaks for itself – you cannot ignore the dramatic change in United’s form since Ronaldo left. But at the same time, it was a very difficult situation for Erik ten Hag to deal with upon arrival at Manchester United, and it just didn’t go well. But I don’t think this is because of Cristiano, but because of the other players’ mindsets.
“With the right communication, the right level of respect, maybe a compromise could have been found, but he’s still contributed to Man United’s resurrection by the effect he had on players around him. He boosted confidence, and gave players the freedom to express themselves, which has been a big factor in United’s improvement this season.“
RELATED STORIES
