What now for Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United?

The sight of a glum-looking Ronaldo storming out of Old Trafford ten minutes before the end of United’s final pre-season game served as a fitting metaphor for his current status with the club

Mon, 01 Aug, 2022 - 18:30

Ian Whittell

The sight of a glum-looking Cristiano Ronaldo storming out of Old Trafford ten minutes before the end of Manchester United’s final pre-season game on Sunday served as a fitting metaphor for the icon’s current status with Erik ten Hag’s club.

Not only was this the image of a man who clearly did not wish to be where he currently finds himself, but the reaction to those images on social media demonstrated what a sideshow and circus the veteran striker is going to create this season.

In the month since Ronaldo indirectly let it be known he wished to leave the club, and was excused pre-season training for “family reasons,” the 37-year-old has entered unchartered territory.

For the first time in his illustrious career, dating back to his first efforts to leave Old Trafford 14 years ago, Ronaldo is not in complete control of his own destiny.

Despite the best - or worst, depending on your point of view - efforts of his super agent Jorge Mendes, there have been no takers for Ronaldo’s services, certainly not in the vicinity of the reported £500,000 a week he is paid at United.

This is not just a post-Covid financial issue but also a reputational one - Ronaldo orchestrated his departures from United, under Alex Ferguson, Real Madrid and Juventus without his image suffering too much collateral damage.

Now, the reaction of most United supporters is that they would happily see the departure of a player who, while a club legend, clearly believes he is bigger than the badge.

Even those clubs who could at least get close to affording his wages - read, Chelsea and Bayern Munich - have decided the distractions that now accompany Ronaldo, and risk upsetting the balance of the club, are not worth the gamble.

Those factors emboldened United’s hierarchy to play hardball with Ronaldo and Mendes from the start of his antics, although whether ten Hag would share the enthusiasm for keeping him at the club is open to debate.

As Ralf Rangnick famously pointed out last season, even in his youth, Ronaldo was never a “pressing monster” and if that is, as we believe, ten Hag’s preferred style of play, it is hard to see the veteran fitting in.

But, more pragmatically, United’s failure to sign a striker over the past few seasons has left them in a position now where it is hard to see where goals will consistently come from in the new season, without a dramatic, late, super-costly move for a proven forward.

Ronaldo scored 24 times in all competitions last season. In a team that was only eighth in the Premier League goal scoring charts. Bruno Fernandes was second with ten while Mason Greenwood, who was suspended by the club in late January and did not play thereafter, was third top league scorer with five.

This was the backdrop to Sunday’s draw with Rayo Vallecano, Ronaldo’s first action of the pre-season, when he started and was the first player substituted after just 45 minutes.

United would not reveal whether or not Ronaldo had permission to leave the stadium well before the end of the 1-1 draw but, certainly, the optics with fans on social media were not good and the incident served as a timely reminder of how his every action will be under the microscope this season.

Ten Hag hates such distractions but, increasingly, there may be no alternative for either party than for Ronaldo to start, and remain, with United in the new season.

Ronaldo has an increasingly diminishing list of alternatives and, in terms of a player to take on his goalscoring mantle, United have even less.

It should, as always, make for compelling viewing at Old Trafford this season although whether or not that is to the benefit of United, and ten Hag’s efforts to end nearly a decade of misery, is highly doubtful.