The 24-word conclusion to Manchester United's statement that they had agreed to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo made it clear that Erik ten Hag was in charge - and no amount of Ballon d'Or awards were ever going to change that.
"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."
The "progress" that the blunt statement referred to has been undeniable under the Dutchman. The turbulent start to the season has seen Ten Hag flourish as a manager, with the former Ajax man using the defeats to both Brighton and Brentford as motivation to ensure his side never repeat the same mistakes again.
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Just when it seemed things started to be going the Ten Hag's way - Ronaldo made sure everybody knew that he was far from happy with the man trying to do things differently at a club that has been in steady decline since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
For a 37-year-old to decide to storm down the tunnel because he was asked to come on as a last-minute substitute - in front of an adoring crowd with your team winning against a difficult Tottenham side - resembles the actions of a petulant teenager, let alone someone who has won virtually all there is to win throughout his career.
Ronaldo's frustration was more than justifiable, no player wants to be sat on the bench. Yet in that moment it became abundantly clear that he fundamentally disagreed with Ten Hag's approach.
The subsequent interview with Piers Morgan has tarnished his legacy at Old Trafford forever, as although the goals and trophies will never fade, neither will his parting gift for the club. Virtually every single United fan could see that their side was heading on an upward trajectory under their new coach and it was obvious that the veteran just could not get on board with the direction under their new manager.
The fallout from the Portugal international's departure has been Ten Hag's biggest test at United so far and the 52-year-old has passed with flying colours. For the first time in a while, there is a genuine sense of optimism around the club as to what the future holds should the board properly back the former Eredivisie coach.
The need for a new striker is alarming, with Marcus Rashford preferring to cut in from the wing and Anthony Martial's injury record - they need a reliable world class centre-forward to spearhead their attack. Ronaldo simply was not capable of fulfilling the role that Ten Hag wanted him to in order to lead the line for United.
His one Premier League goal in 520 minutes of action this season doesn't exactly mean that the club need to replace Ronaldo, more that they need to find someone mobile enough to be able to aggressively press the defence on top of having good link-up play and of course an eye for goal.
Ten Hag knew that Ronaldo went against the grain for the approach and philosophy he wanted and it was no coincidence that his squad put in one of the best performances this season in their 2-1 win over Liverpool after dropping the former United forward. It was a decision that could have opened the door to a tirade of abuse should the result have gone the other way - yet fans soon realised that their new manager is not afraid to upset the apple cart in his relentless pursuit of success at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo tried to leave the club over the summer in pursuit of Champions League football and is currently a free agent following his dramatic exit. The fact that no other club, big or small, have swooped in and done whatever it takes to get a deal over the line for his services shows that Ten Hag has made the right call.
United appear to only be heading in one direction right now and although there will be further bumps in the road - Ten Hag can put Ronaldo in his rear view mirror in the knowledge that he did exactly what was best for the club when they most needed it.
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