GET SET FOR A TOUR DE FOURTH
Ronaldo here to win title
CRISTIANO RONALDO set his sights on bringing the Premier League title back to Manchester United after his stunning two-goal return.
Ronaldo scored in either half of a 4-1 win over Newcastle at Old Trafford on his emotional homecoming, then stated his ambition to win a fourth title with United.
“I’m here to win, I think we have a fantastic team with great potential and we need to build up confidence,” said Ronaldo.
“Manchester United need to be where they deserve, to go step by step to win the Premier League.”
Ronaldo paid tribute to United’s fans after his double helped take Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to the top of the table.
“It was an unbelievable welcome that this crowd gave me,” he said. “The supporters, they sang my name all game. Of course, they know my celebration. They were waiting for my celebration, so I did it.
“It’s my mark, but the most important thing is the team. It was my day, I know, but it’s finished. What I want is to help the team to win trophies. I belong to this club,
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so I want to help the team to achieve good things and I’m looking forward to the next games.
“This team has huge potential. We have fantastic players, a good coach, a good team and we need to build up the mentality to win the Premier League and even the Champions League.”
If this performance is what Ronaldo can produce when he is rusty, then the heights he can reach when fully fit must be a frightening prospect for the rest of the Premier League and Europe.
The second coming of the fivetime Ballon d’Or winner more than lived up to the hype.
In recent years, in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, Old Trafford has been a moribund arena, starved of the swashbuckling football on which its rich attacking heritage was built.
But on Saturday, the Theatre of Dreams was rocking. Admittedly, Ronaldo could not have asked for more obliging opponents. Newcastle were overwhelmed after briefly getting back on level terms through Javier Manquillo.
Tougher tests lie ahead, but here was proof Ronaldo can still deliver in the most demanding league in the world.
The 36-year-old’s first goal was a poacher’s gift, capitalising on Freddie Woodman spilling the ball, while his second went through the legs of the hapless goalkeeper. Further stunning strikes from Bruno Fernandes and substitute Jesse Lingard added gloss to the scoreline.
United take on Swiss side Young Boys in their Champions League group stage opener tomorrow, with Ronaldo certain to start again.
“Cristiano needs more minutes,” said Solskjaer. “But he looks after himself so much, so I know he’ll recover quickly.”
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; WanBissaka 6, Varane 8, Maguire 7, Shaw 7; Matic 6, Pogba 8; Sancho 6 (Lingard 66, 6), Fernandes 8 (Martial 85), Greenwood 7 (Van de Beek 85); Ronaldo 9. Goals: Ronaldo 45, 62, Fernandes 80, Lingard 90.
NEWCASTLE (5-3-2): Woodman 4; Manquillo 6 (J Murphy 77), Hayden 5, Lascelles 5, Clark 5 (Lewis 84), Ritchie 6; Willock 6 (Hendrick 85), S Longstaff 5, Almiron 6; Joelinton 6, Saint-Maximin 5. Goal: Manquillo 56.