Manchester United legend Gary Neville has expressed his disappointment in the way Cristiano Ronaldo has carried himself since speculations over his exit emerged.
Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford remains largely uncertain despite the fact that the pool of potential suitors for his signature has shrunk significantly with Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich withdrawing their interest.
It’s clear that the uncertainty surrounding his future is even having an impact beyond himself as demonstrated by Erik ten Hag’s snappy response when asked about his No.7 leaving the Rayo Vallecano pre-season match at half-time alongside a few other of the squad members without the permission of manager Erik ten Hag.
And Neville has expressed his dismay with the way the former Real Madrid start as conducted himself.
“If he’s fit you start him and I hope he stays, I’m a little bit disappointed in him,” he told Sky Sports. “I’m disappointed, to be fair he’s letting the manager go into those press conferences; Cristiano now is a good age, he’s been the greatest player in the world alongside Messi for the last 10 years.
“He’s got all the experience in the world, would it be too much to ask him to do an interview to clear things up and what he’s thinking? Would that be too much to ask a senior player. Is he not going to do an interview for the next three weeks or after the game on Sunday?
“We’re going to ask for him, is he going to come up, stand up, do the interview and not let people do the speaking for him? I think that’s the thing that would be a start. For me, I’m disappointed because the clarity we haven’t got. The reality is Ten Hag getting jumpy in his press conferences because he’s probably not telling us the truth of it because he can’t.
“The reality of it is if a Champions League club comes in for Cristiano Ronaldo I think we know Cristiano Ronaldo wants to take that move. We know that don’t we? It’s emerged over the last few weeks and at the moment no ones coming for him. That’s why the clubs saying they want him to stay but I think if someone came in he would go.
Neville added: “Should Manchester United be waiting two or three weeks for their star striker to leave? Or should they say you’re not leaving come May, that would be clarity from the club but then there’s a risk that in two weeks time, Cristiano throws his toys out the pram and says he’s leaving, that sort of thing that can happen. That’s why I feel it’s unpalatable.”
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COMMENTS
A man acting just like a baby. Always wanting to have his way all the time. I have long lost respect for him.
I was one of those who stated at the beginning of last season that buying Ronaldo back was a risk, the correctness of which will be revealed at the end of the season. He was a big star, who was declining. He had been misbehaving at Real Madrid before he left and was accused of being a negative influence at Juventus.
Opinion about him on the Manchester United platform I am a member of remained divided. I have always held that the team is more important than the individual. Manchester United had their worst ever season in the Premier League with the fewest points in their history. Team scored its fewest goals despite Ronaldo,because every other player scored less goals than in previous seasons, other than Fred.
Let Ronaldo get a buyer. No team seems to want him. That says a lot.
If I was team manager, he would not start. He didn’t go on pre season to fit into the manager’s approach. He can come in as substitute.
Team harmony protected. Obedient players respected and rewarded. The post Ronaldo period, like this season anyway as he wants to play in a competition Man United didn’t qualify for, can be planned for. Starting Ronaldo will undermine Eric ten Hag,the manager and will adversely affect team performance and club’s prospects.