Cristiano Ronaldo used to nod in disbelief at everything he used to do on the football pitch, but it is a sign of the declining condition of Manchester United that now only does what he does and says.
As he prepared to leave for Qatar for his fifth World Cup with Portugal, Ronaldo did everything he could to make sure he would not return to Old Trafford and the Premier League when the tournament was over. The problem for Ronaldo is that, to get what he wants, he now has to let his football do the talking in Qatar, and his football hasn’t spoken so well in recent months.
Think of the 37-year-old’s most memorable moments since the end of last season. He failed to report in time for pre-season training, citing family reasons, and then missed United’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia. When he finally returned to the fold, manager Eric ten Haag criticized Ronaldo for leaving Old Trafford during the second half of the friendly against Rayo Vellecano.
The Portugal captain then refused to come up as a substitute for last month’s Premier League win against Tottenham Hotspur, during which he got off the bench, walked down the tunnel and left Old Trafford before the final whistle. For that, he was dropped from the squad for the subsequent game at Chelsea.
And now, he has made perhaps his most premeditated display of dissent towards the club to date. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo accused United of “betrayal,” said he does not respect Ten Hag and accused unnamed figures at Old Trafford for wanting to force him out. Sources told ESPN the club were furious over his latest move.
For balance, it is fitting that the highlights of Ronaldo’s play this season have been cited to put the off-field issues to rest. He scored his 700th career club goal from the penalty spot against FC Sheriff in the Europa League and added another against the Moldovan champions at Old Trafford last month. And he scored a goal in the 2-1 Premier League win at Everton.
So there you have it. Three goals with two in a competition – the Europa League – that he tried so hard to avoid playing in over the summer. United, meanwhile, are on the rise again under Ten Haag after a decade of mismanagement. all levels. Ronaldo has started in three of the five games they have lost this season.
Gabe Marcotti and Julian Laurens wonder what may be next for Cristiano Ronaldo following his criticism of Manchester United.
The picture that is emerging is inevitable; Ronaldo is no longer having an impact on the pitch, and when he does play, United are delivering their worst results. It should come as no surprise that Ten Haig isn’t wasting time moving forward with Ronaldo as nothing more than a bit-part player. As ESPN reported last month, United are set to leave Ronaldo at Old Trafford on a free transfer after he made it clear he wants to leave in the summer.
Back in the summer, there was no interest in the player earning £500,000 a week from other clubs and his 38th birthday was approaching in February. This is still the case even now. Basically, United can’t even take Ronaldo away. Much of this is for clubs to be wary of signing a player whose global status is so great that it gives him a feeling of being able to do what he wants. No one wants to sign a player who creates turmoil within the team.
However, if Ronaldo was still the old Ronaldo – a player capable of scoring more than 30 goals in a season and making a difference in the biggest of games – clubs would brush aside any reservations about his character simply because Because he will win games and trophies. Ronaldo may no longer claim to be that player, but in Qatar he may have one last chance to prove that he can still be that player.
On the biggest stage, Ronaldo has United and Ten Haag sorry to deal with him this season by scoring big goals in big games to silence his critics, prove his doubters wrong and take Portugal deep into the competition There is a chance to express. Ronaldo can once again speak his mind on the pitch and ensure that decisions are made on what he does with his feet rather than his mouth.
But if he were still able to do so, he would not have needed to bare his soul in a long televised interview. The reality is that it was a desperate act by a desperate man trying to find a solution to a problem of his own making.
