Manchester United Midfielder Uninterested About Those 'Speaking Behind People's Backs'

Manchester United fans are currently celebrating the fact that they have a World Cup titlist in the form of Argentinian cornerback Lisandro Martinez, but they still have to deal with the fallout from Cristiano Ronaldo's unceremonious exit from the club.

Red Devils midfielder Scott McTominay recently spoke with The Athletic and may have fired some stray bullets in Ronaldo's direction with his recent comments.

"I've never been interested in, if things are going wrong—and I'm not saying I've had that here, but I have experienced it over my time in football, when I was a kid—the bitchiness, speaking behind people's backs if you don't win. That is just a disaster," McTominay stated.

"You need players in the group who are straight-talking, say things to people's faces, and if they like it they like it, if they don't they'll get over it next week. I feel like we have a really good group for that, especially with the lads who are playing every week, they are really to the point. You need that."

McTominay did clarify that he was not necessarily aiming his comments at Ronaldo, but it can be interpreted as such.

When Ronaldo went on his tell-all interview with Piers Morgan in November, it appeared that the writing was truly on the wall for him and the club that showcased him to the world.

He told Morgan that he had felt betrayed by the club and felt as if "some people don't want me here, not only this year, but last year too" while also taking potshots in the direction of current manager Erik ten Hag, upper management and players.

Such statements were not taken too kindly by Manchester United and they decided that it was time to cut their losses and move on without him.

Ten Hag has been a massive revelation for the struggling Red Devils after finishing sixth in the English Premier League last season and missing out on a UEFA Champions League spot this year, but there is hope for them this time around.

Manchester United is just three points behind Tottenham for fourth in the Premier League and their summer signings are proving to be the foundation of future success.

Alongside Martinez, they brought in Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro and winger Antony who both combined for £149.09 million ($158.22 million) in transfer fees while also snagging promising left-back Tyrell Malacia for £13.50 million ($14.32 million).

It was one of the biggest splashes in the transfer market for Manchester United since bringing on Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane ahead of the 2021-22 season.

There is no shortage of talent in Old Trafford these days and if ten Hag can make the pieces fit while also bringing on depth pieces in the coming winter window or next summer, it would not be all that surprising to see the storied club return to their former glory.