 CRISTIANO RONALDO’S SECOND STINT AT UNITED

by Jude Cauchi

If there is a player that will always be remembered in the world of football for his sheer talent and brilliance, it is certainly the Portuguese star by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, despite this, he still divides opinions from football fans and the latest outrage on the media with Piers Morgan is likely to have broken the relationship with Manchester United and the club’s supporters. What a painful way to end his strong legacy with the club following his return to the club in August 2021.

Whilst his performances have regressed since that opening second debut vs Newcastle, the number 7 did make several key contributions for the Red Devils. In fact, since his return to the club, the international footballer has made a total of 54 appearances, scoring 27 goals, and providing 5 assists in the process. Moreover, Ronaldo also managed to score a hattrick versus Spurs at Old Trafford which was a contender for goal of the season, coupled with his rescue acts that saved the team in the Champions’ League group stages last year. One must not forget that without his contributions, the club would have suffered a lot more embarrassing results in the 2021/22 season. Certainty, for a player of his age, that is an impressive return, but it does not provide that United are a better team with him on the pitch. Recent stats provided by Sky Sports UK suggest that Manchester United have a higher win percentage as well as better other indicators such as goals and distance covered without him on the pitch.

Beyond stats and performances on the pitch, during 2021/22, Manchester United have had three different managers and naturally, all three did come to the club to present their different philosophies and ways of working. In spite of the way the managers think though, I am a firm believer that the manager should be the most important person at the club and this needs to be reflected in the support he gets from the club. In the summer of 2022, Erik Ten Hag was brought to Manchester United to change the fortunes of the club and all decisions taken in the interest of the team should be backed by the stakeholders associated with the club. The early signs on the Dutchman suggest that he is improving the culture and might be on the early stages of developing something special at Manchester United and given all the managers who have failed at United in the recent past, the club cannot afford to fail again this time.

Switching the focus back to Ronaldo, despite never doubting his professionalism as a football athlete and his utmost determination to still be the best player on the planet, his behaviour during the pre-season, start of the season as well the latest interview claiming to have been betrayed by the club disappointed a lot of United fans. In fact, whilst one would realistically understand that for someone with five Ballons d’Or under his name and all the success he has experienced in his career, the frustration of having to give up Champions League football must have been a bitter pill to swallow, disrespecting the club, the manager and the supporters certainly does not excuse his antics. In fact, despite spending all summer attempting to force a move away from the club, departing the stadium early versus Rayo Vallecano and refusing to come on as a sub versus Tottenham Hotspur, the manager still made him captain in his last appearance in the Premier League versus Aston Villa and was also consistently in the starting line-up in the last matches before the stop for the World Cup. From a personal perspective though, the team look better and more threating without him on the pitch. Given that the Qatar FIFA World Cup is approaching, from a United perspective, it will be interesting to analyse how the Portugal International captain performs during the tournament and following

the recent episodes, there is no doubt that the man will be motivated to perform at the highest level on the world’s biggest stage.

In terms of going forward, there is already a lot of speculation on Ronaldo’s future, and the likelihood is that the employment relationship will be terminated by both parties. Despite this, the club will analyse whether it has a case to take disciplinary action against the Portuguese and all the legal repercussions resulting from taking such a stance. To date, it seems that the club seems to have grounds to terminate Ronaldo’s contract without suffering any penalties. No matter how one approaches the issue though, there seems to be an agreement that Ronaldo does not have a future anymore at the club and probably this is the best solution for both player and the club. Despite this though, the current United squad is not big in terms of centre forwards, and should the Portuguese leave the club without being replaced, it will be a big risk which could gradually deteriorate United’s season and the chances of playing in Europe’s elite competition. Hence, moments like this require the people representing the club to negotiate wisely and deliver a win-win solution.

In terms of Ronaldo’s status as a United legend, the recent episodes have tarnished his reputation at United and the removing of a giant mural at Old Trafford are a demonstration and a taste of the consequences of his actions. On the other hand, a fair analysis requires to also consider all the good that the number seven achieved whilst playing for United. After all, the nicest thing about history is that it can never be erased for better or worse. From a personal perspective, the 2007/08 season will never be forgotten and Cristiano Ronaldo was arguably the best United player during that season helping the club to win both the Premier League and the Champions League. Additionally, the Portuguese was also influential in helping the club to topple Liverpool as the England’s most decorated club domestically. Hence, whilst United fans have witnessed an anti-climax as an end to Ronaldo’s love story with the club, all humans make mistakes and hopefully soon, in addition to proudly speaking about his achievements in football, Ronaldo one day will admit that what was spoken during that interview lacked class and respect. In any case, the time has come to close the chapter and start writing a different story.