Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League over the weekend as goals from Antony and Cristiano Ronaldo secured three points against Everton at Goodison Park.
The vital victory came one week after Erik ten Hag experienced a nightmare first Manchester derby, with Manchester City scoring six goals at the Etihad Stadium.
United played against Omonia in the Europa League between these games and that performance was hardly convincing, meaning that United needed to perform well against Everton.
And that they did, with Ronaldo emerging as a surprisingly influential performer after he was introduced in the first half due to an injury to Anthony Martial.
Ronaldo latched onto a perfectly weighted ball from Casemiro to score, which eventually turned out to be the winner. After scoring the goal, he did not perform his trademark ‘Siu’ celebration.
Instead, he crossed his fingers across his chest, closed his eyes and mimicked a person sleeping. Antony, who was quickest to join him in the celebrations, soon followed suit.
Now, Manchester United have explained the surprising celebration, revealing that it was an inside joke between the United players.
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“We can now reveal that Ronaldo’s celebration was a self-deprecating in-joke with his fellow team-mates, highlighting the strong bonds among the players in Erik ten Hag’s squad,” the club wrote on the official Manchester United website.
“Of course, Cristiano is renowned for looking after himself and ensuring he is always in the best possible condition, which naturally involves hours of hard work on the training pitch and in the gym.
“It also includes resting at the right moments and ensuring he has enough sleep to aid his recovery: it has previously been reported that Ronaldo naps several times a day!
“CR7’s celebration at Everton was amusingly a nod to the position in which he sleeps when travelling with the squad, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by his team-mates who are all eager to learn from him.”
SN’s verdict…
It’s been suggested that Ronaldo’s presence in the United squad is negative but so far this season, there’s very little proof of that and the scenes at Goodison Park point to the contrary.
Inside jokes within the squad are always positive and it shows signs of a group that is bonding on more levels than just football – an essential factor.
His goal aside, Ronaldo was largely impressive against Everton and perhaps he can use that performance as a springboard to kickstart his season. With Martial’s fitness still an issue, Erik ten Hag will be relying on the 37-year-old.
