Last Wednesday (19), Manchester United beat Brentford away in the Premier League, but the result on the field was in the background. At the time, coach Ralph Rangnick decided to take Cristiano Ronaldo off the field, which left the Portuguese visibly upset. After the match, the coach explained what happened and said that he understood the player’s location. The English newspaper “The Sun” on Friday (21st) criticized the two for their position.
According to the publication, the episode clearly showed that Rangnick is not in a position to retain him as an effective Manchester United coach for next season. As the match continued, the German left the technical area and went to Cristiano Ronaldo to explain the reason for the switch. For “The Sun”, this situation would never come from a great coach like Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp.
Ralph Rangnick’s attitude would then be a display of weakness and a lack of leadership. Practically “abandoning” a game that was explaining to the player the reason for the switch. Especially after the player who was substituted left the field complaining.
About Cristiano Ronaldo, the publication assessed that the Portuguese sees himself above the group of Manchester United players. More so because this wasn’t the first time he had been replaced and it clearly shows his dissatisfaction. In the draw against Newcastle, the Portuguese left the field directly to the dressing room, in an act deemed disrespectful by the British press.
In addition to situations, Cristiano Ronaldo showed his dissatisfaction with words. The Portuguese is not satisfied with Manchester United’s performance and there is an intention to leave. In a recent interview, the player said he wanted to compete for titles and asked for more behavior from his teammates.
“I don’t want to be sixth, seventh or even fifth,” said Cristiano Ronaldo. “I’m here to win and compete. I can’t accept that our position is much lower than the top three in the Premier League.”
For these reasons, it seems that the Portuguese’s days at Manchester United are numbered and accommodation for next season is not guaranteed. For The Sun, the Portuguese needs to understand his place in the squad to stay at Manchester United, even more so with the arrival of a new coach. A change in team management could be important for Manchester United, but Cristiano needs to understand where he is and without creating conflicts.
