Rio Ferdinand Claims Cristiano Ronaldo “Was Right” About Manchester United Star
David Tully David Tully 3 hours ago Categories: Manchester United News Tags: Crsitiano Ronaldo, diogo dalot, Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand
TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand says his former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo believed that Diogo Dalot would realise his potential.
The fullback has come into his own since being given more first-team opportunities by manager Erik ten Hag. Ferdinand claims he was originally unconvinced about the player but he feels Ronaldo has been proven right in his opinion of the defender:
“Do you know what I said about Dalot before? I don’t know what he is, I don’t know if he is going to be.”
“I remember Cristiano telling me, ‘Rio, this boy will be a good player. Trust me. He works hard. He has got a good attitude, good attributes.” He was right. He has been really good.”
Dalot is now a regular starter for United
It wasn’t long ago that the 24-year-old was loaned out to AC Milan for a whole season, with many questioning his long-term future at Old Trafford.
However, after ten Hag’s arrival in 2022, Dalot quickly became a firm favourite of the Dutchman’s, playing regularly ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right-hand side of defence.
The fullback’s adaptability makes him a great player to have in the squad
With Dalot just as comfortable playing at left-back as he is on the right flank, it means ten Hag has been able to deploy him in multiple positions.
That has proven particularly useful this season with United having gone through a major injury crisis. While 29 of his 38 appearances have been as a right-back, he has played out of position in 9 other matches.
Wan-Bissaka’s fitness problems have certainly helped Dalot maintain his position in the starting eleven, but he has gradually become one of the United’s most consistent performers. He is about to hit the prime of his career so he could yet improve further in the future.
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Stan Collymore has outlined why Manchester United will be especially incentivised to defeat rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup.
The 53-year-old pointed to the domestic competition as being the only piece of silverware the Red Devils can compete for this term.
“It’s a big game, especially for United, who only really have the FA Cup to compete for,” the former Red told CaughtOffside.
“It’s also a massive game for Liverpool, who remain in all four competitions.
“The Reds also seem to be getting stronger the deeper they go, so I’m expecting another really hard-fought game for Erik Ten Hag’s men.”
Erik ten Hag’s men do have a slim chance of breaking into the top four, though that will be reliant on Tottenham and Aston Villa both slipping up higher in the table.
Big for United but even bigger for Liverpool
We’re absolutely not underestimating the challenge posed by facing our traditional arch rivals at Old Trafford
Though an 11-2 aggregate win over Sparta Prague in the Europa League further enforces the idea that Liverpool are taking every competition very seriously, United can still cause us problems.
A frustrating draw at home back in December would certainly suggest as much.
That said, with one Carabao Cup under the belt and further progression secured in Europe, there is an increasing feeling of inevitability about this Jurgen Klopp side.
Beat United in Manchester at the weekend and we’ll take one step closer to a fairytale ending fit to send off our talismanic head coach.
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