MANCHESTER UNITED boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been asked by Cristiano Ronaldo to better suit his needs with a more direct style.
The 36-year-old has never been afraid to call the shots when he feels his teams are struggling and the Red Devils are still adapting to their new front-man following his deadline day arrival.
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A tally of five goals since his return, at a rate of one every 86 minutes, suggests he is not finding it hard to hit the back of the Old Trafford net.
But Ronaldo’s insatiable thirst has reportedly led to him getting involved at the tactics board.
According to ESPN, the Portuguese superstar has told Solskjaer and his coaching staff that he will score even more goals if the team’s tempo increases.
Of particular focus are the defenders and the speed with which they move the ball out from the back.
It is said that the signing of Raphael Varane was hoped to provide greater technical ability in the backline.
But Solskjaer is yet to decide on his best route to Ronaldo.
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Full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw are still gathering momentum in the new season while winger Jadon Sancho has been quiet.
Therefore the new direct playing style Ronaldo has necessitated is seen as an ongoing project on the club’s training pitches.
The forward nonetheless rescued United with a late winner against Villarreal on Tuesday night.
Alex Telles revealed after the game that Ronaldo had voiced his frustration at a lack of service.
The left-back told TNT Sports: “So, it was the first time I’ve played with him.
“Off the pitch, we already have this closer relationship because we speak Portuguese.
Ronaldo was a little upset that we didn’t get any balls to him.
Alex Telles
“And five minutes before he was a little upset that we didn’t get any balls to him.
“I said, ‘It will arrive, it will arrive, stay concentrated because it will arrive’. And as soon as I went off, Ronaldo doesn’t need much, right?
“We know his quality, we see it on a daily basis. So it only took one ball in the box and he gave us the victory. It’s a dream.”
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