All the talk should have been about Manchester United and their dominant performance against Tottenham Hotspur when they came out ahead 2-0 on Wednesday.
The focus should have been on how well the team is performing as it seems to suit the way Erik ten Hag wants them to play.
There were numerous positive talking points, most notably the showings made by underperforming stars like Fred and Bruno Fernandes and how their manager has backed them up despite their recent showings.
CR7 tarnishing his legacy
However, what emerged as the biggest news headline after the game was the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo left for the locker room with the final whistle yet to blow.
Erik ten Hag: “Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on against Tottenham.” ???????? #MUFC
“There have to be consequences. It is important for the attitude and mentality of the group.” pic.twitter.com/pExifE8LKW
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 21, 2022
It was later revealed by The Athletic that the Portuguese superstar had not only gone to the dressing room but had, in fact, walked out of Old Trafford as his teammates celebrated victory.
That was not the end of the story, as reports surfaced the next day that the 37-year-old had refused entry when asked by the manager. This was later confirmed by the manager himself.
United issued a statement condemning his actions and stated that Ronaldo would not be part of Chelsea’s matchday squad and would not even train with the first team.
Things are going from bad to worse for United’s number 7. The Peoples Person reported that United were discussing an exit strategy and may be willing to let him go for free in January.
Could players turn on CR7?
And now, according to Samuel Luckhurst of The Manchester Evening News, “a growing number of Manchester United players prefer to play without Cristiano Ronaldo as doubts about their future grow.”
There is a higher level of harmony in the team this season than what has been seen in previous years, especially after the departure of certain stars and they want to let this incident ruin the atmosphere within the locker room.
According to the sources, there is no “imminent threat of the players turning on Ronaldo as he is immensely respected”, but “Ronaldo suspects that some teammates have tried to undermine his position in the dressing room”.
Previous reports had indicated that certain players would have preferred the club to sell the Portugal captain and it seems that even the Dutch manager is now more open to the idea of allowing the former Real Madrid star to leave.
As of now, there are doubts as to whether Ronaldo will take the field against Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League midweek clash. United are in a conundrum at the moment.
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