(Observer Network News) According to "ESPN" and other sports media reported on the 21st, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was punished by the club for "suspension" for leaving the game against Tottenham Hotspur early on the 20th. Manchester United beat Tottenham 2-0 in that match, but Ronaldo never got the opportunity to play. In the 89th minute of the game, angry, he went straight back to the dressing room.
Ronaldo has been excluded from Manchester United's squad for Chelsea at the weekend, and he himself responded that he left the field on impulse and would continue to focus on training and helping his team-mates.
The incident has triggered various discussions in international football about Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United, and many views believe that the two sides are no longer compatible and have to "break up".
Impulse left the field and was "suspended" by the club
In the early morning of the 20th, Beijing time, Manchester United defeated Tottenham 2-0 at Old Trafford with a long-lost wonderful performance. However, when the whole team celebrated the victory, Ronaldo was nowhere to be seen.
A number of media pointed out that from the 75th minute of the game, Ronaldo, who was actively warming up on the sidelines, watched his teammates McTominay, Elanga and Eriksen being replaced one after another.
In the 89th minute, he finally broke out after waiting for a chance to play and left the field in anger. On the way back to the dressing room, he also ignored the fans' high-fives.
This move made Ronaldo, who was already "focused on the media", once again go to the center of public opinion in international football. The Daily Mail said the Manchester United 7 refused Ten Hag's instructions to make him a substitute in the final minute of the game, while BBC sports correspondent Simon Stone revealed that he had not had any communication with Ten Hag before leaving the field.
On the 21st, Manchester United's official website issued a statement saying that Ronaldo will not go to Stamford Bridge with the team to participate in the team's match with Chelsea. Although there is no mention of "punishment", everyone knows it.
ESPN pointed out that Ronaldo's decision to "suspension" was made by Ten Hag and was supported by the club's senior management. On Thursday local time, the Portuguese did not participate in the team's joint training and is not expected to return until next Monday.
After being named by the club, Ronaldo posted on social media, saying that his behavior at that time was impulsive.
"As I have done throughout my career, I have tried to respect my colleagues, opponents and coaches in life and in the game, and that has not changed. I've always tried to set an example for the youngsters in the team, but sometimes the impulse can make us lose the best side. Now, I feel like I have to keep working hard at Carrington [training ground], support my team-mates and be ready for any game. I never give in to pressure, this is Manchester United and we have to stick together. Soon we will be together again. ”
But no matter how to explain and how to express your position, the relationship between Ronaldo and Dutch coach Ten Hag, and the bond with Manchester United, have almost collapsed after a series of controversial events.
Foreign sports media "The Athletic" wrote, "Most of the 73,677 people present at Old Trafford that day were immersed in Manchester United's performance, which is their outstanding performance in a long time." They did not see Ronaldo disappear in the night, with the latter's relationship with the club on the verge of breaking. ”
"Ronaldo is Manchester United's problem"The fermentation of Ronaldo's early departure has triggered heated discussions in football, and everyone is discussing Manchester United, which has fans all over the world, what is the problem now?
"Manchester United Evening News" analysis believes that Ronaldo has become a problem for Manchester United due to the transfer farce since the start of the season in July this year. Although Ten Hag has no "player privilege" in the dressing room since he took charge of Manchester United, he has given Cristiano Ronaldo almost flattering support for a long time. Including the early departure of Ronaldo in the preseason, Ten Hag did not name and accuse after the game; Manchester City derby fell behind, and Ten Hag explained the relevant issues about Cristiano Ronaldo on the grounds that he "did not want to humiliate the player". Today, such favors have expired, and the latter has repeatedly underestimated Ten Hag (the determination to govern the army strictly).
Admittedly, almost throughout the summer off-season, the world's media focused on where Ronaldo ended up. From the media exposed that Ronaldo was dissatisfied with Manchester United's recruitment, to the "departure" of Ronaldo from Manchester United, there are countless of his "new homes" before and after.
It is precisely because of the transfer farce that Ronaldo missed pre-season training, which largely led to his still not fully finding the state of the game. In addition, he has left the game early twice in succession, directly touching the bottom line of iron coach Ten Hag. More seriously, the point of Cristiano Ronaldo's outbreak happened to coincide with the team playing a game that was recognized as the best game in recent times.
"The Athletic" analysis said that Ronaldo can always get the sympathy of the majority of fans, and fans will feel that his disrespect for his teammates and Ten Hag is "more justified" than the disrespect that others have for a player of his status.
But after Thursday, things changed. Some fans have also chosen to side with Ten Hag, believing that Ronaldo is not thinking about the big picture of the team. "As much as I like Cristiano Ronaldo, Ten Hag's move is spot on. He showed leadership that the team has been missing since the Ferguson era. Discipline, discipline, discipline. ”
Former England defender Mika Richards told the BBC that it was disappointing to be a great player to draw all his attention to himself when the team was winning.
Manchester United legend goalkeeper Schmeichel was also quite helpless: "It was the first time I was disappointed in him and usually I chose to support him and understand his situation. We are in a period of transition and after Alex Ferguson, United have changed five managers. Ten Hag has a very clear idea of the team's style of play and we need everyone's understanding and time instead of such distractions, I am disappointed. ”
When it's time to say "break up"?
Against Tottenham alone, Ten Hag's tactics were quite successful. He wants the team to put more pressure on opponents up front, so he replaced Ronaldo with Marcus Rashford to the effect. Throughout the game, Manchester United's 28 shots completed the total suppression of Tottenham, and even set a record for the number of shots in a single game in the Premier League this season.
Fans familiar with Ronaldo know that he is a player with an extremely strong desire to win and fight, and watching his teammates rise from the sidelines, it is inevitable that his heart will be depressed.
In fact, when he was substituted in the second half against Newcastle last week, he shook his head repeatedly to express disappointment. But as Ten Hag said after the game, the player had to convince the coach to keep him on the pitch with his performance.
With Ronaldo's current form, and his playing style is limited by age and body, he obviously cannot book a long-term starting position in the team. So far, he has made 12 appearances in the new season, scoring just two goals.
Maybe it's not bad to change to another player and play as a substitute for a big team at the age of 37, but the key is that Ronaldo is a superstar, a player with strong character and self-esteem.
His former teammate and Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand said that he understood why Ronaldo was so angry and pointed the finger at the club, asking why he was not allowed to leave in the summer window since Ronaldo was not in the team's plan and could not play for a long time?
He believes that after every Manchester United game, everyone is asking the same question - "why Ronaldo does not start", which is unfair to him, Ten Hag and even the club. "Manchester United won 2-0, but the headlines are all about Ronaldo, which is fresh enough. Because Ronaldo is a great idol and superstar, he will always be a factor holding Ten Hag back until he leaves. ”
BBC sports analysis said that apparently, Ronaldo now believes that he is not respected in the team, but he is also not in line with Ten Hag's style of building the team. "This player's contract is so big, it's not easy to find a way to end it six months early. But for everyone's benefit, this is what needs to be done now. They only need another three-and-a-half weeks of peace until Ronaldo travels to Qatar for the World Cup. ”
It has been more than 1 year since Ronaldo returned to the "Theater of Dreams", and it is embarrassing to recall the sensational and warm scenes at that time. The winter window is just around the corner, leaving little time for both sides to consider.
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