Matchweek Moments: Ronaldo’s Reputation

Spurs visited Old Trafford on Wednesday for a big six midweek clash.

Manchester United had one of their standout performances of the season, sweeping aside Spurs with an impressive 2-0 win. Erik Ten Hag’s team are starting to gel and if they continue to play like they did, they could be another serious contender for the coveted top four positions. The red side of Manchester has a growing air of optimism and energy.

But there’s one exception.

In the 89th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo was seen getting up. After sitting on the substitute bench up to that point, fans would expect this to mean his introduction to the match. Instead of coming onto the field, he went back to the dressing room and was allegedly gone by the time the rest of the team made it back.

Ten Hag quickly made his mind up and United issued a statement the next morning that Ronaldo would not be part of the squad traveling to face Chelsea on Saturday. Also on Thursday, Ronaldo posted on Instagram explaining the “heat of the moment” got the best of him. The manager later confirmed in a conference that Ronaldo had refused his attempts to be used as a substitute.

Ten Hag has taken on a number of big decisions since his summer hiring, such as spending over $200 million on transfers and dropping club captain Harry Maguire. He’s handled them brilliantly, working hard to get United back on track following their poor finish last season. After United’s 4-0 humiliation to Brentford, for example, Ten Hag made the players run an extra 8.6 miles in training the next day, the same amount further Brentford players had run than United. His refusal to brush away issues has injected much-needed discipline and drive into the team, and their performances are starting to benefit. Dealing with the Portuguese superstar adds unnecessary trouble, and he will have little patience for it disrupting his hard work elsewhere.

The forward’s minutes have been severely limited this season. Arriving last August for around $18 million from Juventus, he led the team with 24 goals in all competitions. This season’s comparative lack of minutes is certainly not what he expected. He has one goal and one assist from eight appearances, only starting twice. Though starting all four Europa League games, for the Champions League’s all-time leading goalscorer, this is quite the drop off. Ronaldo’s frustration with his playing time is certainly understandable, but how he handles that frustration is under intense scrutiny. This time, he’s facing the consequences.

The biggest threats from the walkoff were damaging his legendary reputation and position within the United squad. While Ronaldo is undeniably one of the greatest players ever, his recent news coverage is not always positive. He was fined for swatting an Everton fan’s phone out of their hand in April this year, throwing the Portugal captain’s armband on the ground after a disallowed goal in March 2021, and even leaving early from a preseason game against Rayo Vallecano in July for which he also received harsh words from Ten Hag. Reports from a Manchester newspaper claim that players within the team are frustrated with Ronaldo’s behavior too.

Ten Hag’s side are improving day by day, but Ronaldo’s actions overshadow this progress. Part of Ronaldo’s contribution to the team was his high level of professionalism and experience to help a number of the younger players. He’s let his own standards slip now, and is no longer the role model to players like Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga, and Tyrell Malacia that the club hoped he would be. He has selfishly added conflict to a dressing room that is otherwise constantly improving.

As he approaches his 38th birthday, his style of play has been forced to change. As much as he wants to be, he is no longer the electric winger that scored 451 goals in 438 games for Real Madrid. Teams like United require their players to do an incredible amount of off the ball defending, and Ronaldo does not seem up to the task. His role remains as a proficient finisher, though now with less involvement. It hurts to see a legendary player fall out of favor like this, and it hurts to see his great reputation affected by his actions.

United and Ronaldo were exploring options to separate this past summer, and while he stayed, it seems increasingly probable he will not play in Manchester next season. It also seems highly unlikely that he’ll stoop to joining an MLS team yet, so where can he go? Finding a team that satisfies his desire for Champions League football, will take on his astronomical salary, and doesn’t mind his age is difficult enough as it is. Adding in his recent disciplinary problems makes it look nearly impossible.

Beyond his removal from the traveling squad for Chelsea, Ronaldo’s involvement next week against Sheriff Tiraspol is certainly not guaranteed. He looks destined to leave United and the best thing he can do is perform well in the minutes he does earn to attract interest from other clubs. If he continues to create problems at United, Ronaldo will end up without a club that wants him. He can start to repair the damage caused, but his future involvement with United after making such a scene out of his frustration remains to be seen.