Picking up the pieces of reactions to Ronaldo’s last minute exit from the Stadium

Picking up the pieces of reactions to Ronaldo’s last minute exit from the Stadium

 

Christiano Ronaldo was an unused substitute in Manchester United victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday’s night at Old Trafford.

While the players, officials and fans were cheering to triumph courtesy of goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes, Christiano Ronaldo was captured by cameras as he stormed off the pitch in ‘annoyance’ in the 89th minutes of the game.

His action has generated a lot of reactions which we are tracking at the moment. Many believe the 37-year old deserves some respect and others have also opined that he is not bigger than the club.

Alan Shearer:
“Would I be stirring if I said Bruno [Fernandes] looks happier in this team without Ronaldo?

“I just look at his performance tonight and his energy and look at his leadership and the qualities he has offered both defensively and offensively and he has done so much for them in this performance tonight. He deserved that goal.”

Lisandro Martinez:
“I didn’t see anything. I don’t know. I’m just enjoying the win, we won and that’s important.

Peter Schmeichel:
“It’s the first time I can say that I am disappointed with him. Normally I back him, I understand his situation — we don’t need distractions like that, and that’s a disappointment, I would

Patrice Evra:
“I would have to start [Ronaldo]. One interview from Ten Hag after the game against Manchester City and why he didn’t bring him on was because he respected his character. If he respected his character, he would surely have to play him and play him every time.”

Rio Ferdinand:
“My only thought could be is that Cristiano Ronaldo is being saved for the weekend against Chelsea. That’s the only way that I see it, logically, that he did not play [last night]. I think Ronaldo will be absolutely fuming with that, naturally.

“I wouldn’t expect anything different from him. I think the big problem Erik ten Hag has got is that, coming up to this next window, he has to think very carefully about what he does. If he doesn’t see Ronaldo as a starter in his team more often than not, I think he has to release him from his contract.

“He has to let him go. It’s not fair on anybody, on the club, on Ronaldo, on Ten Hag, that the first question after every game is ‘Why didn’t Ronaldo start?’ That will be a story. United won 2-0 and the leading story will be about Ronaldo. That can’t be right.

“You sit here and think why did Man Utd not just let him go if Ten Hag knew he didn’t want Ronaldo in his plans. That’s the baffling thing for me.

“You think what he’s done in his career… at his level… surely the manager would have known before the season started if he was going to play Ronaldo or not, if he wanted him in his team, if he was someone to build around. It looks to me right now that it was a no [he didn’t want Ronaldo]. If that’s the case, he should have let Ronaldo go.

“It’s going to be something that hampers Ten Hag going forward until the day Ronaldo leaves the club, because of how much of an icon and superstar he is.”

Danny Mills:
“I think that’s disrespectful to the team, to the manager, to the fans. They’re winning 2-0 – what complaint can he have with this? If they were losing 2-0 it still wouldn’t have been right but I could sort of understand it. He clearly thinks he’s bigger than the football club. That’s absolutely disgraceful.

“It’s a bit selfish and he’s done it because he’s not involved. He knows full well that everyone’s going to see him because you know what it’s like at Old Trafford, you’ve got to walk all the way down the touchline – it’s not like you can just sneak out on the halfway line – you’ve got to walk 50-60 yards and he knows everyone is going to see him. I feel sorry for United and for Ten Hag because that’s an outstanding result against a top side and all it’s going to be about is Ronaldo.”

Dion Dublin:
“I’d probably want to get him around the throat and say ‘what are you doing?’”

“It’s out of order. I love Ronaldo, I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I think he should be getting more minutes and think he can make a difference more than most. However, the game’s still going on, your team-mates are still playing.

“It basically says ‘I don’t really care’. For me in the dressing room it says ‘I’m off’ and ‘I don’t really care about my team-mates’. I know he does and I know he’s passionate for playing for Man United, but tonight I think he’s massively in the wrong.

“Myself and Tim [Sherwood] are very old school about this. We have very strong values about togetherness and how we would deal with it in the dressing room would be very different to how they deal with it now, however, I don’t like a lack of respect for your team-mates.”

Tim Sherwood:
“I think it’s quite shocking. [Erik] Ten Hag made all his changes and Ronaldo has just gone down the tunnel.

“It’s a public show of dissent against the manager. It’s not a good look, in my opinion. I’m quite angry about it. I love Ronaldo but I think there are ways you go about it.

“He [Ten Hag] talked about in the Manchester derby about not putting him on the pitch because he wanted to show him respect, and I feel Ronaldo’s shown him a lack of disrespect by walking down the tunnel.”

Gabby Agbonlahor:
“Ronaldo is a spoilt brat, let’s be honest. He’s 37, he’s had the best career and is probably one of the best players to play the game. Your team, who you’re meant to love, are playing the best football that they’ve played in years and absolutely battered Spurs.

“They play better without him. Ronaldo came on against Everton and scored a goal and did well, then he started against Newcastle and was poor, got taken off and had a huff. I rate Ten Hag for not being pressured to play Ronaldo. To walk down the tunnel like that, for me, is a disgrace.

“You can’t do that. It’s so disrespectful to your teammates and if I’m the players in the changing room with Ronaldo after the game and find out about it, I want my manager to make a statement. I’d leave Ronaldo out of the Chelsea game.”

“It’s disrespectful. Yes, he’s one of the best and scored 700 goals but you can’t disrespect your teammates. He made it about him.”

Ten had already said he’s going to address the issue after the game even as the scenario further cast a big shadow on the future of the five time baloon d’or winner in his second spell at Old Trafford.