Coach Ralph Rangnick has played down Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction to being substituted in the second half of Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Brentford today in the Premier League.
Speaking to “BT Sport”, the captain said that the Portuguese’s dissatisfaction is “natural”, and explained why he took off his No. 7 shirt in the 26th minute of the final stage. Defender Harry Maguire entered the penalty area for Cristiano Ronaldo 7.
The United captain said: “That’s normal. As a striker, he wants to score goals. He came back from a minor injury, so it was important to keep in mind that we have another game in three days.”
“On the other hand, we were winning 2-0, which is the same result as Villa Park, and I decided to defend this advantage and I think it was the right decision. We scored the third goal and wanted to keep a clean sheet (without conceding).”
Annoyed by the switch, CR7 threw his coat on the floor and sat on the stairs questioning the coach’s choice. Rangnick even took advantage of United’s third goal to get close to Ronaldo and talk about the seventh shirt.
The English newspaper “The Telegraph” did not like Ronaldo’s position. For the tabloid, the player’s “evil reaction” drew more attention than the victory of the Manchester team.
“What is this example to set for young United players like Ilanga (the top scorer)?” asked the outlet. “That’s definitely not a teammate’s reaction.”
The episode joins the latest signs of dissatisfaction with Cristiano Ronaldo since his arrival at United. According to the newspaper “The Sun”, the Portuguese is considering leaving the English club, five months after his arrival.
The English press continues to refer to a “split” in the Red Devils locker room between the Portuguese-speaking players and the rest.
In addition, the agent of Portuguese star Jorge Mendes traveled to the UK to talk about his future at United. The player will be frustrated by his performance and, above all, by Rangnick’s tactics and technique. The player would have given a “final” to the club’s board of directors and was willing to terminate his contract if the selection of a new coach, which should take place at the end of the season, was not of his desire.
