A dressing room intervention during the half-time break of Manchester United's recent clash against Atalanta could see Cristiano Ronaldo assume a greater leadership role at the club moving forwards.
The 36-year-old was reported to have interrupted manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in order to give a rousing speech of his own.
Whatever was said appeared to work spectacularly, as, in the second half, United scored three goals to overturn a 2-0 half-time deficit in the Champions League tie.
According to The Sun, the forward asked his United teammates "Are you not ashamed?" as he criticised their performance in the first 45 minutes.
Goals from Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire got United back on level terms in the second period before Ronaldo himself dealt the fatal blow to the Serie A side with an 81st-minute header.
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It's not the first time the club's iconic number 7 has gotten Solskjaer out of trouble, as just a few weeks prior in the Champions League, Ronaldo was once again the hero after grabbing a last-second winner against Villareal.
The Norwegian's overreliance on one player, or individual contributions more widely, has been pointed out repeatedly during his stint as United manager.
Some fans will therefore see Ronaldo's new-found status in the dressing room as the 48-year-old shirking responsibility due to his playing squad's lack of faith in his methods.
After all, while the Red Devils did manage to edge past Atalanta, a 4-2 collapse against Leicester in the Premier League the weekend before is still an indication that all is not well at Old Trafford.
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If, as many suspect, Solskajer's tactical choices are under scrutiny by some members of the United squad, it's only logical that the gaffer would seek out the support of a senior, widely respected player.
"The message is not clear. There is confusion in the team, players don't understand what the tactics are," an unnamed source told The Sun.
Topics: Manchester United, Atalanta, Champions League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Cristiano Ronaldo