Ronaldo's explosive interview leaves ex-Man Utd team-mate 'shocked, gutted & disappointed' but he agrees with him on one thing

• Brown disappointed with CR7
• Questions how he handled the situation
• Agrees United have stagnated since Ferguson left

WHAT HAPPENED? The former United defender has criticised Ronaldo for going public with his grievances against manager Erik ten Hag and the club itself. Brown admitted that despite being a great professional until now, Ronaldo has chosen the wrong route to deal with the situation and he would not have done it himself.

WHAT THEY SAID: "It's one of those situations where it's become more and more obvious that he wants to leave the club,'' Brown has told Fair Betting Sites. ''Personally, I think you should go about it in a different way but Ronaldo will feel a certain way and has decided that this is the course of action he wants to take. I'm a bit gutted about the whole situation but until I've seen the whole thing it's hard to say too much else on it.

"But I am disappointed with how it's played out because he's been a great person and great professional up until now. Ultimately when there's stuff to be said like this that you do it behind closed doors and with the right people. This hasn't been done that way.''

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Brown does agree with Ronaldo that United have stagnated since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, but also believes that Ten Hag is the right man for the job and there has been some progress since his arrival. "I think since the manager's gone (Fergie) you can see that Manchester United have struggled. Yes, they've won bits here and there under other managers but that consistency has not been there for a while now,'' he added. ''The new manager has come in now and I think he's done a really good job. I think some of the signings are really good and you can see some real progress. I can understand that the past is the past but to reach the heights of those times again is going to take a long time.''

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO? Fresh reports are suggesting that Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes is already holding meetings with top European sides to facilitate a move in the January transfer window but his astronomical wages remain a major stumbling block. Ronaldo has already joined the Portuguese squad ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.