Not many expected Manchester United to beat Liverpool on Monday night, and chief among those who gave Erik ten Hag 's men no hope was Piers Morgan.
But the outspoken broadcaster was left with egg on his face after an outstanding performance saw the Red Devils down their old foes in a pulsating 2-1 win - with Cristiano Ronaldo an onlooker for all but the final seven minutes. And it was new boss Ten Hag's decision to drop the United legend at Old Trafford which had, pre-game, led to Morgan predicting United would be hammered on home soil... and calling for the Dutchman to be sacked already.
"Benching Cristiano for [Anthony] Elanga against Liverpool, even by current abysmal Manchester United standards, is one of the dumbest decisions in football history," the Talk TV host tweeted pre-match. "Ten Hag should be fired for this alone if they get hammered tonight.. or should I say WHEN they get hammered."
Rather than be hampered by Ronaldo's controversial absence, however, Ten Hag's team thrived.
A younger and more fluid front line made up of Elanga, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho worked a treat, with the latter pair both getting on the scoresheet either side of half-time.
Ronaldo was left to watch from the sidelines until the five-time Ballon d'Or winner replaced Rashford amid his ongoing transfer saga. Ronaldo wants to leave Old Trafford behind after just 12 months back in Manchester, as he's desperate to keep competing in Europe's premier competition, the Champions League.
Ten Hag and co will instead feature in this season's Europa League, but the Dutch tactician still reckons that his star striker has a role to play - even in his demanding system. "I think he can [adapt], and in his whole career and under several managers, he did," Ten Hag explained after the Red Devils' triumph.
"In several styles and systems, he always performed. Why can't he do this [again]? His age is not an issue. If you are young, you are good enough, and when you are old, you still deliver the performance, you are also good enough."
Get involved! Will Ronaldo regain his place in Man Utd's starting XI? Let us know your prediction in the comments section.
Bruno Fernandes, Ronaldo's teammate for both United and Portugal, wants his compatriot to stick around but will be happy for him whichever path the 37-year-old megastar goes down beyond transfer deadline day on September 1.
"We have to respect what he wants to do, whatever he wants to do," Fernandes told Eleven Sports amid the celebrations.
"If he's going to stay, we'll be happy about it; if he's going to leave because he thinks it's best for him, I'll be personally happy for him. The most important thing is that he's okay, playing at the highest level and making our country proud."
