Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that it is “hard to see” Manchester United not dominating English football.
After Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, the Red Devils have not won a trophy and have had two managers – David Moyes and current boss Louis van Gaal.
Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, one Champions League trophy and an FA Cup during his six-year spell at United before joining Madrid for a then-world record £80m fee in 2009.
“It’s different – I don’t say that it’s better or worse but it changed a lot,” Ronaldo told BBC Sport. “Manchester, it changed.
Many great players retired. For example, [Rio] Ferdinand, [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, etc.
“I move to Real Madrid, Sir Alex Ferguson’s gone – the structured changed, in my opinion. This is why Manchester is not the same Manchester of six years ago.
This is a fact, it’s true.
“For me it’s hard to see that because it’s a club I love and of course I want to see Manchester United in a level that it was in the past.
I like to see the club that I like in the top, and I think Manchester, this season, is better but I think they still have work to do to be in [the] level of six, seven years ago.
” United are currently fourth in the Premier League table, three points adrift of leaders Manchester City.
