Cristiano Ronaldo‘s unwise decision to drop a critical interview of Manchester United and Erik ten Hag has stirred up a wave of controversy.
Ronaldo was quoted by The Sun saying he does not respect Ten Hag, and feels he is being forced out of Old Trafford.
There is going to plenty more to come from this story, no doubt, and what remains interesting is how former Manchester United players will react.
Sky pundit Jamie Carragher says 99 per cent of supporters will be on Ten Hag’s side on this. He suggests former players including Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane and Patrice Evra may side with Ronaldo.
The reverance Ronaldo is held in by his former teammates is understandable. But it should not cloud judgement on this.
Ronaldo’s decision to conduct this interview was ill-advised in the first place, and very selfish. It’s clearly the choice of a player who has made up his mind to leave the club.
Keane, Ferdinand, and Evra have not yet commented on Ronaldo’s actions, although will be expected to do over the coming days.
Ronaldo should not be above criticism, his performances this season have not been good enough to justify selection, and instead of being upset with himself, he is directing his frustrations towards Erik ten Hag.
What happens next with this saga will play out over the coming days and weeks. Ronaldo is now off to the World Cup.
When the tournament finishes, it is unlikely he will be returning to play a part in Manchester United’s season.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
