Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson expects an even better Cristiano Ronaldo this season.

He said: "After the meeting I had with Cristiano, when I explained the situation and what we expect of players from Manchester United, he's already said he's delighted to be back here, so to say that he's here reluctantly is not the case.

"When we had the meeting the lad quickly agreed with me, so I have no issues whatsoever with him.

"He'll be OK, he'll do his best, he'll be a great player this season because he's still improving. He'll be absolutely fantastic for us.

"Everyone said last season that he wouldn't score more than the 23 goals he scored in the previous campaign. I don't think anyone thought he could do better than that and I said he would.

"I expected him to improve and I expect him to improve again this season. Of course, we're at a different level - 42 goals against 23 goals is completely different - so if he gets to 41 goals I think we'll forgive him."