Cristiano Ronaldo is destroying his Manchester United legacy and making it much more difficult to get an escape from Old Trafford.
After his latest show of indiscipline when he rushed into the locker room as an unused substitute before the conclusion of United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday’s Premier League match (with multiple sources telling ESPN that the Portuguese left the stadium before the final whistle), the 37-year-old striker is likely to become more of a problem than what he brings to the pitch, both for United and any club that may still be interested in him.
The former Real Madrid and Juventus striker silenced the doubters last year during the first season of his return to United (after completing his € 15m transfer from Juve, after leaving United for Real Madrid). The Devils have endured their worst Premier League campaign.
Despite numerous critics suggesting that Cristiano would upset the balance of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, the Portuguese international was at least able to show his goal production as proof of his contribution on the pitch, while many of his teammates they did not live up to expectations. However, all the negativity Cristiano should have brought to the last tournament started to surface in his second year at Old Trafford.
Ever since his entourage made it clear last June that Cristiano wanted to leave United for a team playing in the Champions League, it has become an unnecessary distraction for the club, consistently overshadowing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag ever since he hired. summer. Cristiano skipped United’s entire pre-season tour of Asia and Australia for family reasons, only to incur the ire of Ten Hag by leaving the stadium during the second half of last July’s pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano. Ten Hag called Cristiano’s actions that day “unacceptable”.
Although Ten Hag has publicly stated his willingness to work with Cristiano as part of his squad, multiple sources told ESPN that the former Ajax manager would not oppose the Old Trafford player’s departure this summer. Ten Hag is pragmatic about Cristiano’s qualities and is happy to have his scoring ability in the squad; however, he is also aware that his overall stature means that manifestations of petulance such as the unauthorized departure from the stadium on Wednesday become big topics of debate.
Compounding the situation, Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement on Wednesday came just three days after he reacted contemptuously to his replacement during United’s 0-0 at home to Newcastle United on Sunday, shaking his head in a visible sign of disagreement with Ten Hag’s decision to replace him. with Marco Rashford. On that occasion Ten Hag said he understood that a footballer of the caliber of Cristiano would be unhappy to be replaced, but it was yet another example of Cristiano’s effect at Old Trafford.
The win against Tottenham was United’s best performance under Ten Hag and one of the most exciting since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013; however, it’s hard to believe because Cristiano made sure that the post-game conversation revolves exclusively around him and his actions.
During the height of his career, Ronaldo was used to dominating the spotlight for all the right reasons, but this time he seems unable to accept that he is no longer the center of United attention. He has only started two Premier League games in the entire season, making six appearances from the bench. In total, he added 340 minutes of field work in league games, contributing with just one goal and one assist.
When he converted to a 2-1 away win over Everton earlier this month, Cristiano reminded us that he remains a surgically accurate interval craftsman and remains United’s top scorer; however, he doesn’t contribute enough when he doesn’t score. Ten Hag was bold enough to recognize him and choose players more capable of carrying that work ethic that Cristiano cannot, or does not want, to carry.
Ten Hag was forced to make decisions regarding Cristiano and decided to have him as a replacement, on most occasions. Had Cristiano been ready to accept his reduced status as he approaches his 38th birthday next February, it’s a compromise that could have worked. However, to the detriment of United and Ten Hag, he was unable to adapt to his new reality.
Cristiano remains an exemplary professional when it comes to maintaining his physique and longevity; but he has reached the stage in his career where he has to accept that he is now simply part of a team, rather than the player who leads it.
It’s an awkward transition for any great footballer, but Cristiano’s demeanor makes it increasingly difficult for Ten Hag to trust him to do his part for the team. It has become a problem that United will want to get rid of and a player that the big teams will want to avoid when the transfer window opens in January.
Having enjoyed such a remarkable and illustrious career, Cristiano Ronaldo is nearing the twilight of his career by becoming an irritation and distraction that will only harm his well-nurtured reputation.
