Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to leave Old Trafford in favor of the Champions League and a genuine chance to win trophies elsewhere.
Along with his former facilitator Jorge Mendes, the 37-year-old desperately tried to engineer a way out away from the Theater of Dreams during the summer transfer window, to no avail.
A group of Europe’s elite clubs, including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Inter Milan and Chelsea, have rebuffed his advances, sometimes in public statements that no doubt hurt the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s ego.
Ronaldo’s efforts to find alternative employers meant he did not travel with the team during pre-season. This meant the striker lost his place in the team to Anthony Martial, who impressed coach Erik Ten Hag on tour.
He has appeared on several occasions this season for the Red Devils. Still, so far, he has endured a nightmarish campaign that has only reinforced what many of the fan base already knew but didn’t want to admit: Ronaldo must go and make room for the team to flourish in his absence.
Here are three reasons why the hierarchy should make it easy for Ronaldo to go elsewhere for the good of the team.
It is a drag that significantly hinders the team and the way the coach wants to play
For many people, it is incomprehensible that one of the best players of his generation, who has a trophy case that other players can only dream of, should be labeled as a liability.
Yet that is precisely what Ronaldo has become through no fault of his own. Time and age catch up with everyone.
The former Real Madrid player is a player in steep decline who oversees the twilight of his illustrious and rich career. He no longer has the explosive speed and bags of tricks that at one point allowed him to leave defenders on the ground and unable to stop him.
His instinctive fox-like movement inside the box that made up for his loss of quick speed and allowed him to stretch his career well past thirty seems to have been reduced to a distant memory. Even the player’s aerial ability that helped cement his status as the greatest goalscorer of all time is gone.
Instead, whenever Ronaldo plays, he is constantly outclassed by the opposition, who have no problem stamping their authority on his once-unplayable character. Most of the time, the Champions League series winner spends his time on the pitch after being hit by a defender.
He constantly loses the ball and gives up possession in the middle of attacking phases, which then puts the team at a disadvantage, susceptible to quick transitions and counter-attacks. Due to his profligacy and, it must be said, that of fellow Portuguese Bruno Fernandes, the team is crippled in their attempts to maintain continuous pressure and create waves of attacks.
Ronaldo lacks the ability to link up the forward line and bring teammates into play, an aspect of the game where Martial excels with near-perfect accuracy. Whenever he has the ball close to goal, the striker’s first option is always to go for an outside shot, sometimes at the expense of an easier alternative, like passing to someone in a much better position.
Defensively, Ronaldo offers next to nothing. Admittedly, even in his youth, he was never much of a pressurer, but the evolution of the game demands that even the number nine be involved in closing the door on the opposition. At 37, Ronaldo cannot be expected to press with the same intensity as some of the league’s young talismans who relish the task, such as Gabriel Jesus, Erling Haaland, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.
He does not. 7 consistently fails to drop back, leaving his colleagues with large spaces to defend and overloads in dangerous areas. It is true that he is not the only United attacker guilty of this. Jadon Sancho and Antony, for example, failed to fulfill their obligations against Manchester City in derby day defeat in which United conceded six goals, four in the first 45 minutes alone.
In recent games, Ronaldo’s clinical nature and completion have also been questioned. The most memorable incident that comes to mind is in the Europa League first leg against Omonia. He had numerous clear chances to bury proceedings, but failed with each one. One chance saw the Portuguese captain face a huge goal after Diogo Dalot selflessly dismissed him, but he could only hit the post from close range.
This has become a recurring theme in Ronaldo’s game, although he did well scoring against Everton to reach an incredible milestone of 700 goals in his club career.
Sometimes one wonders what exactly Ronaldo brings to the team every time he comes on. His valuable contributions are few and far between these days, and he’s clearly holding the team back. Ten Hag has shown his willingness to leave Ronaldo in favor of Martial and even Rashford, who better suit his footballing philosophy and his tactical knowledge.
However, the Dutch boss’s hands are tied. The French is rarely fit and very unreliable. Rashford, on the other hand, thrives more as a winger than a natural striker. Charlie McNeill and Joe Hugill are the only other natural goalscorers at Old Trafford. Still, the two youngsters, as talented as they are, are not ready for the big time and still need to be carefully nurtured.
Club bosses must look to January for a powerful striker to replace Ronaldo and fit into the coach’s plans.
Constant revisionism by the media and pundits is exhausting and takes a toll on team performance.
A player of Ronaldo’s caliber is never far from the headlines, and most fans are used to it.
However, the constant and biased coverage of him by sections of the media is jarring. Most of his former teammates and current TV pundits, who might be his friends, have become notorious for their constant unwarranted revisionism of the player.
Some of them, including Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Gary Neville and others, enjoy talking about Ronaldo’s past exploits with United in his first spell and with Real Madrid, using these achievements as a springboard to dismiss his detrimental effect on the team. current.
While they remind viewers of the type of player Ronaldo once was, they must also recognize the player he is now and what merit, if any, he brings to the team. It can be argued that most of the media resorts to this tactic to avoid any obvious talk of the player’s decline.
For example, Ferdinand questioned Ten Hag’s decision to substitute Ronaldo during the Newcastle game after the weekend, arguing that if Rashford’s chance ultimately fell to the 37-year-old, he would likely have found the back of the net. .
It’s easy to speak in hindsight after the fact. Would Ronaldo have been in Rashford’s place at that given moment? There is no guarantee that this would have been the case. This is not the first time that the legendary United defender has come out in the open overzealous about defending Ronaldo. A few weeks ago, Sky Sports commentator and pundit Jamie Carragher accused him of being a Ronaldo fan in an impassioned rant on Twitter.
Keane ridiculously named Ronaldo as one of the top three players in the league right now, along with Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne. The likes of Harry Kane, Ivan Toney and others would have something to say about that!
Revisionism bores and distracts from what is important and of highest priority: the improvement of the team and its advancement.
The uncertainty about his future is likely to only cause more unrest.
The Telegraph’s Jason Burt revealed in an exclusive that Ronaldo is still figuring out a way to leave United in January.
The uncertainty about his future, especially for a player who has so much clout in the locker room, doesn’t bode well for the team’s dynamics, chemistry and unity.
Various reports have explained how the Portugal international is not every player’s cup of tea behind the scenes. This, I must point out, is not Ronaldo’s problem, and if he takes issue with the mediocrity and complacency that pervades some of United’s stars, it is a net positive in the eyes of the Old Trafford faithful.
These opinions are not intended to tarnish Ronaldo’s acclaimed and distinguished resume. Every player, even a superhuman like Ronaldo, has his breaking point and moment of development for him, and it seems that he is beyond his. He may have some use as an impact substitute and capable deputy, but knowing him and his temperament, he’s unlikely to accept this situation.
It is crucial that his future be resolved and a definite determination made on his next move. This would provide much-needed clarity on where you stand and let everyone know where you stand. In this regard, surely the best thing for everyone is that he leaves in January. This will be a positive development for United, not only in the short term but also in the future.
United Matchday Magazine – The Ultimate Match Experience Take your seat for the Spurs match and stay in the loop on all things United!
Get all the match preparation, articles, news, riddles, nostalgia and humor. Online soccer content like you’ve never seen it before. No ads, no clickbait, no fake news – just 100% pure United. secure online ordering Click Preview to see more or shop for just £1.25 / $1.50 Limited Time Offer: SAVE £10 On A Season Pass – Use Discount Code SEASON35 At Checkout.
