United's 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League is not only a masterpiece of the Red Devils' Champions League this season, but may even be the last time the team will appear on the top stage of European clubs in a year or two. Because Lonnick's side has less and less hope of reaching the top four in the Premier League this season, there is no guarantee of next season.
United are currently one point behind Arsenal in three more games, only 5th in the Premier League and could be overtaken by Tottenham this week. Moreover, next season's "new local tycoon" Newcastle United may rise strongly, and Manchester United's four opponents will add another team, making it increasingly difficult to qualify for the Champions League in the future.
For Manchester United's number one superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, his high-profile "homecoming" journey before the start of the season is now likely to end in failure. Manchester United has basically determined that "all four are empty" this season, of course, there are still 9 rounds of the Premier League, the Red Devils are 20 points behind the leaders Manchester City, there is still theoretical hope of winning the title, but everyone knows that this is an impossible ending.
The FA Cup and League Cup, Manchester United are also out early, which means that Ronaldo will not be able to win any trophies for the first time in 12 years to end a season. The last time he encountered the "big four empty" was when he joined Real Madrid in 2009/10.
In Ronaldo's entire 20-year career as a professional player, this was only the third time in a two-handed season, the other time when he first joined Manchester United in 2004/05. Even when He debuted at Sporting Portugal, he at least won the Portuguese Super Cup.
Not only is there no title, but it may not qualify for the Top Four in the Premier League, and when Ronaldo put back on the legendary No. 7 shirt last August, no one could have predicted this result, when fans were hoping that Manchester United would be able to truly challenge Manchester City and Liverpool and compete for the league title.
There are rumors that although Ronaldo originally knew that Manchester United was no longer the level he was when he left in 2009, he did not expect the standard to drop to such a degree. The 37-year-old Portuguese superstar may bid farewell to the Red Devils in order to win the title again, especially if the team really misses the new season's Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo once again set a new record in this game, and his Champions League playing time also surpassed former Real Madrid teammate Casillas to become the first in history.
Opta data shows that Cristiano Ronaldo played 90 minutes without a single shot on goal, the first since May 3, 2011 and the third in the individual Champions League. However, the Portuguese superstar appears to have an upside-down gold hook to make up for it, so "WhoScored" said it was accurate to say that not a single shot was fired correctly for 90 minutes.
Cristiano Ronaldo can't bring the current Manchester United, and his two former teammates Scholes and Leo Ferdinand believe that even the young Mbappe and Erlin Haaland can't save the Red Devils.
"People are talking about how long it will take for United to revive and it's hard to give a number." Ferdinand said, "I think that although there has been a lot of pain now, there will be a lot of setbacks before it can really succeed." United need to find the right coach, a unique coach, who can win trophies and make the players feel afraid, otherwise they will not be able to return to the highest level. I think even if you find a good coach, it will take you two or three years to consider winning the championship. Manchester City and Liverpool are of high standards, very stable and could last two, three or even four years."
"We've had 8 to 10 years of turmoil since Furjue's retirement, and there's no sign that it's going to end. This tells you that you not only need players, but also good coaches to control them. Even with Mbappe and Haaland this summer, United still can't win the title. Because no matter who is introduced, it must be reformed from the top down."
The 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo was furious after United conceded the ball, believing that Atletico had fouled Erlanga and Fred and that the goals should be invalid, but the VAR review upheld the referee's original decision, and the Portuguese superstar made a "glasses" gesture to mock the referee team when he kicked off. But to be honest, Manchester United need a pair of "glasses" that can be discerned more than referees.