Wayne Rooney's ex-team-mate slams Man Utd icon for "wrong" Cristiano Ronaldo criticism

Posted Saturday, April 09, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

Rooney called for Manchester United to cut ties with Ronaldo in the summer transfer window following a season in which the Red Devils have struggled badly to perform

Wayne Rooney's ex-team-mate slams Man Utd icon for
Wayne Rooney has been slammed for his criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo (Image: Sky Sports)

Wayne Rooney's former team-mate Louis Saha has slammed him for his "wrong" analysis of Cristiano Ronaldo's second spell at Manchester United.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford as a United player for the first time since 2009 at the end of the summer transfer window, arriving in a £12m deal from Juventus. The Portuguese superstar has scored 18 goals in all competitions since his arrival, though the Red Devils have endured a disappointing season.

Despite signing the 37-year-old attacker, United have failed to win a trophy for a fifth consecutive season and look set to miss out on a top-four place in the Premier League table. That led to Rooney stating his belief that United need to move on from Ronaldo this summer.

"I think he’s scored goals, he’s scored important goals in the Champions League early on in the season. He scored the hat-trick against Tottenham. But I think if you look to the future of the club you would have to go with younger, hungry players to do the best to lift Manchester United over these next two, three years," he told Sky Sports on Monday.

"And obviously Cristiano is getting on a bit. He certainly isn’t the player he was when he was in his 20s. And that happens, that’s football. He’s a goal threat but I think the rest of the game they need more, they need young, hungry players."

But Rooney has now been blasted for those comments by Saha. The Frenchman played alongside both Rooney and Ronaldo for four years in his time at United, winning two Premier League titles.

Wayne Rooney's ex-team-mate slams Man Utd icon for
Louis Saha believes that Rooney's analysis of Ronaldo is wide of the mark

And the former striker believes that the criticism from the now Derby boss is wide of the mark. Instead of selling him to open opportunities for younger members of the United squad, Saha believes he can continue to set an example as the Red Devils look to turn their fortunes around.

"I don't understand. I'm a bit surprised. To target Cristiano Ronaldo and say we need to move on is wrong. Why don't we build young players around Cristiano? Let them learn and improve around him," Saha told BoyleSports.

"If those players cannot improve and grow then they are not good enough. I don't agree at all and I think Cristiano has done an enormous sacrifice, but under criticism he has done well. The team hasn't played well and I don't like Cristiano being targeted."