Reassuring to know Fred is speaking good English on MUTV. Us dedicated correspondents already knew this but on the two occasions we’ve spoken to him in recent months, we have asked questions in English and he has replied in Portuguese – without a translator present. Work that one out.
Manchester United are unbeaten in their past five league games, alternating between a win (3) and a draw (2) each time. Five of their seven league wins this season have been by a one-goal margin. Erik ten Hag expects Cristiano Ronaldo to lead by example after naming him as captain for United in their Premier League game against Aston Villa.
With Harry Magurie only on the bench and Bruno Fernandes suspended, Ronaldo captains United just 18 days after he refused to come on against Tottenham, an indiscretion for which he was dropped from the next squad and banished from first-team training.
Ronaldo has plenty of captaincy experience, having led Portugal on over 100 occasions, but his redemption has come very quickly at United. Kids in the Villa section are screaming Ronaldo’s name, unsurprisingly. It remains to be seen whether United can continue to carry him beyond the World Cup when he had three times as many goals this time last year but Ten Hag has dealt with his transgression so faultlessly both club and player now seem likelier to spend the rest of the season together.
In captaining United today, Ronaldo has skippered the club under three different managers (Ferguson, Rangnick and Ten Hag). He previously strapped on the armband against Bolton in March 2008 and Wolves in January this year.
— Chirag Godara (@iChiragg) November 6, 2022