Erik ten Hag was asked during his first press conference what Cristiano Ronaldo would bring to his team and he responded 'goals'.
A few months later and Ronaldo had actually brought more trouble to Manchester United than goals, as he found the back of the net just three times, with two (a rebound and a penalty) coming against FC Sheriff, before sitting down with Piers Morgan.
An unhappy Ronaldo wanted to engineer a move away from the club and an interview with Morgan, who was bound not to strongly challenge his version of events, seemed most likely to lead to the termination of his contract.
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The first part of his interview with Morgan was broadcast on November 16 and the second part was shown on the following day. The club then carefully considered their next move but the outcome was inevitable, as Ronaldo's position was untenable.
The official announcement, which outlined Ronaldo was to leave by mutual agreement, was published six days after the TV interview was first broadcast, with his second stint at Old Trafford coming to a shuddering halt on November 22.
In an extraordinary war of words, Ronaldo had criticised Ten Hag, his teammates and his employer. Although there were sections of his interview that had merit, like his thoughts on the Glazers, the key takeaway was arguably Ronaldo's delusion.
Ronaldo gave the impression of a player in decline, someone who was struggling to accept he was in the twilight of his career and someone who was struggling to accept it was almost over.
He'd been handed just four starts in the Premier League before speaking to Morgan and that had been for good reason, as his finishing had been uncharacteristically wayward and he had offered next to zero value when not in possession.
Ronaldo suddenly looked like a 37-year-old on the pitch and yet he did not agree with Ten Hag's handling of him, however, that was perhaps until this week, when he publicly spoke about his dramatic departure for the first time.
"Sometimes, you have to go through some things to see who is on my side," Ronaldo said. "I have no problem saying, I had a bad career run, but there’s no time for regrets. Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth.
"When we are at the top of the mountain, we often cannot see what is below. Now, I’m more prepared and learning that was important, because I had never been through this, like in the last few months. Now I’m a better man."
Ronaldo refused to acknowledge the extent of his diminishing ability in his interview with Morgan, but his subsequent move to Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr was recognition and it has seemed to give him time to reflect on his unsatisfactory ending.
Whether Ronaldo agrees it was right for Ten Hag to give him a reduced role this season is another matter, but his comment about his 'bad career run' during Wednesday's Portugal press conference appears to be an admission of his decline.
Ronaldo also said the experience 'was part of his growth' and that he's become a 'better man' for it. The tone of those comments are certainly different to his interview with Morgan and it's possible that Ronaldo has accepted his failings.
It's also possible that Ronaldo would orchestrate his departure in the exact same disruptive manner if having his time again. Only the player will truly know what he thinks, but he might clarify in the future that he could have reacted better.
The player's frustration at not regularly starting spilt into a problem for Ten Hag. His refusal to be substituted against Tottenham at Old Trafford was a shameful episode, it was the beginning of the end, and his interview with Morgan was the nadir.
There has been plenty of talk about his legacy in the aftermath of his explosive departure, but it's hard to imagine he will be moulded in bronze alongside The Holy Trinity anytime soon after he chose to slam the door on his way out.
But his comments this week felt like a step in the right direction and most wounds can be healed with time.
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