Cristiano Ronaldo's reaction to his substitution against Brentford was the subject of much debate, with the Manchester United forward's outburst labelled by some as a sign of his winning mentality but by others an overreaction when the team were comfortably 2-0 up.
Ralf Rangnick was seen talking to the striker on the sidelines and wasn't afraid to comment on the situation after the game, referencing the fact that Ronaldo wants to score goals and he felt like he could have scored if he was left on.
But in the pre-match press conference before the West Ham game on Saturday, Rangnick was again questioned on the matter and he provided a response a lot of United fans will love to hear.
"Well, I think we shouldn't make too much of a fuss out of it," the United boss said of Ronaldo's withdrawal. "I can only speak for myself and my coaching staff. I explained that to him during the game, we had a little conversation after we scored the third goal.
"In fact, I told him the same as what I said in our press conference. The job of a football manager is to help the team win the game and it was clear from our experience at Villa Park that this time we have to do things better. We did it better and the only question was, who do we take off?
"Of course, Cristiano is a prolific goalscorer and he's a player that will always want to play and score goals. He was also asking 'why me? Why didn't you take off one of the younger players?'.
"The answer came five minutes later when one of the younger players scored the third goal."
Ronaldo hasn't been in great form for United since Rangnick joined as interim manager, only scoring two goals and his overall play has not been up to scratch.
There were flashes of his brilliance against Brentford, including his fantastic chest pass to Bruno Fernandes in the build-up to the second goal, but nothing that would make him impossible to replace.
Many have talked about Ronaldo's signing raising the standards of the club, but if that is the case then the Portuguese forward needs to live up to those standards and realise no one in the team is irreplaceable.
The decision to take him off against Brentford was no doubt done with game management in mind, but it's also sent a message to the squad that no one is more important than United's progression.
What's also interesting about Rangnick's comments is his evident trust in youth. United have long been accused of not planning for the future, an accusation thrown at the club following Ronaldo's arrival as some believed the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's presence would stunt the growth of others.
However, it's clear that with Rangnick in charge this won't be the case. The likes of Anthony Elanga and Mason Greenwood will continue to be given their chance and if they are performing better than Ronaldo then they will be given the nod.
There is now a line drawn under the Brentford incident and it is an important one. United are slowly becoming a team rather than a group of individuals. No one is guaranteed a start and Rangnick will pick the team he believes gives him the best chance of winning.
What did you make of Ronaldo's reaction to being subbed against Brentford? Follow our United On My Mind writer Casey Evans on Twitter and get involved in the discussion in the comment section below.
