By Katlego Sekhu
When Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest football players of all time, returned to his boyhood club, Manchester United for what many deemed as “the last dance” a new sense of hope was awakened around the club.
Many believed that the club would regain the same form that saw them winning the treble in 2008 with a 22-year-old Ronaldo at the helm of their attack.
His second debut against New Castle at Old Trafford couldn’t have been better as he scored two important goals to lead his team to victory. A joyful Old Trafford chanted Viva Ronaldo!
But not even Ronaldo’s efforts could plaster through United’s cracks that come from up top.
The quality of signings and poor coaching became prevalent in the field, resulting in united missing out on top 4.
The poor management and lack of direction since Sir Alex Ferguson retired have frustrated supporters of the club.
Since Erik ten Hag’s appointment in April, Ronaldo has been left frustrated with the lack of game time this season despite being the club’s best player last season with 24 goals.
Last night football pundits were left surprised by Ronaldo’s exclusion from the starting lineup by ten Hag in United’s win against Tottenham Hotspurs despite inspiring them to two wins last season.
It appears 37-year-old Ronaldo has reached his breaking point as he stormed out of United’s dugout with 3 minutes left before the end of the game.
Ten Hag told him to warm up on two occasions but never brought him on. Instead, he subbed on inexperienced academy product Anthony Elanga.
Ronaldo’s gesture has been met with mixed reactions by United fans.
Some have called him out for his lack of professionalism and for putting his needs ahead of the team.
However, some loyal fans have argued that Man United could have let Ronaldo go in pre-season when he expressed his desire to leave the club.
They chose to keep him on for commercial reasons against his wish to leave. And it’s quite evident now that Ronaldo was never in the club’s plans.
Here’s what people are saying on social media.
😡 “It’s a disgrace. How disrespectful is that for your teammates??”
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) October 19, 2022
😳 “It’s all for show. Ten Hag still has a problem with Ronaldo. It’s petulant.”
Jamie O’Hara & Jason Cundy weren’t impressed with Cristiano Ronaldo walking down the tunnel before FT pic.twitter.com/yIItmNI0LS
The way Ten Hag seems to delight in humiliating @Cristiano is pathetic. Sticking the world’s greatest ever footballer on the bench, making him repeatedly warm up, then not even use him as a sub, is just staggeringly disrespectful to United’s top scorer last season.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 20, 2022
Rashford as a striker against a back 5 and Ronaldo on the bench is so odd it’ll probably be another Ten Hag masterstroke
— Mark Goldbridge (@markgoldbridge) October 19, 2022
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