The Ronaldo Conundrum
- Daniel Austin-Chukwu
- Oct 22, 2022
- 4 min read
One of the stories from the Premier League over the last week was United’s victory over Spurs. From start to finish, it was complete domination, by far the best I’ve seen United look in the last few years. Aggression, commitment, and penetration: that performance had it all. But one man had to make that night all about him: Cristiano Ronaldo. He stormed off the pitch before full-time after refusing to come on as a late substitute. He has now been dropped from the next league game and his future is now uncertain. All the headlines should have been about the performance, not about one man throwing a tantrum. But since it happened, we might as well address it, in what I call, the Ronaldo Conundrum.
To Sell or Not to Sell
After failing to qualify for the Champions League last season, Ronaldo made it clear that he wanted out. I don’t blame him either. As someone who wants to continue to play at the highest level, you can’t fault him for seeking a new challenge. It was down to Erik Ten Hag to decide whether to grant Ronaldo his wish or to convince him that he was crucial to his plans. It appeared that a stalemate had been reached. United didn’t want to sell him, and Ronaldo was left unconvinced that the club were going in the right direction. There were teams who were interested in buying him (Chelsea, Napoli, Atletico to name a few), but United weren’t willing to do business with any of them. I think once it reached a point where Ten Hag knew keeping him against his will wouldn’t be good for the club, United should have found a way to sell him (or even as a last resort, buy him out of his contract). But alas, that never happened. This is where I think United are first to blame in this. Everyone knows that as a club, it’s no good keeping a disgruntled player. It never works out. Allowing Ronaldo to move on would have massively freed up the wage bill and allowed Ten Hag to refresh his forward line, getting someone more suitable to his style.
The Fit Just Isn’t Right
I alluded to this a few sentences above that It’s evident that Ronaldo does not fit into Ten Hag’s style of football. We’ve seen from his stint as Ajax manager that he likes to play aggressive, attacking football, collectively pressing from the front and while defending with a high line. I want to focus on the pressing part for a moment. We’ve seen over the last few years in the league that the best teams press from the front. Ronaldo has never been known for his pressing, even at the peak of his powers. At 37, he’s not getting any younger and he simply can’t get around the pitch like he used to. I read an article that said in the two league games he’s started this campaign (against Brentford and Newcastle), United have registered their lowest distances covered. It’s worth noting that United failed to win both those games (albeit for very differing reasons). The point I’m making is that Ten Hag demands a certain amount of energy and dynamism from his players. With Ronaldo in the team, he’s not going to give you that. United have looked more dangerous with Martial or even Rashford compared to Ronaldo and those two are better fits for what the coach is trying to implement.
To Big For His Boots
The actions from Ronaldo at the end of the Spurs match showed that he’s all about himself and that he thinks he’s bigger than the club. Let’s get something straight. No one, I repeat, no one, is bigger than Manchester United. Ronaldo needs to check himself. If United were losing the game and he stormed down the tunnel, it still wouldn’t have looked good, but you would at least be able to somewhat understand his reaction. But this was a game that United were WINNING, the fans were in full voice and Old Trafford was rocking. Sometimes you need to recognise that it’s not all about you and even if you’re disappointed to not be playing, you should be happy that the team is playing well. Why Ronaldo felt the need to make everything about him I’ll never know. He later issued an apology on social media saying he reacted in the heat of the moment but that’s not good enough. As a senior member of the squad, he should be setting an example. The only example he set on Wednesday was how to throw your toys out of the pram when you don’t get your way.
What’s Next?
The question now remains, what happens next? Some people believe Ronaldo has played the last game for the club. I don’t think he has just yet as I’m sure Ten Hag will reintegrate him back into the squad. But longer-term, where do Ronaldo and United go from him? Simply put, both parties need to go their separate ways. The manager doesn’t want the player around, and the player doesn’t want to be stuck on the bench. The problem is, what team can afford him, and more crucially, what teams want him? Getting him in January is sure to prove very difficult. The same teams that wanted him in the summer probably aren’t interested in him now. Chelsea signed Aubameyang in the summer, Napoli are flying in the league and don’t need him. That leaves Atletico as the only realistic option. But even then, his wage demands and links to Real Madrid would mean brokering a transfer would be tough. It might be easier to release him from his contract and draw a line under the whole situation. Yes, it will cost United money, but it might be what’s necessary given the Ronaldo cloud that seems to be hanging over the club.
This Week’s Hot Take
Ronaldo should have never re-signed for United. There was so much buzz around his arrival and United were tipped to at least be the most competitive they’ve been in a while. But last season he was possibly one of the reasons why United finished 6th. He was our top scorer, but his output and sheer presence came at the detriment of others and overall, we took steps backwards. Now look at this season, United are a better team both off and on the ball without Ronaldo in the starting XI. The sooner he’s gone, the better so that the Erik Ten Hag project can really take off.
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