HIGH MAINTENANCE RONALDO NO LONGER WORTH THE HASSLE
MANAGING Cristiano Ronaldo has never been easy. Until this summer, however, it has always been worthwhile. A man who scores 61 goals in a season, or 60, 55, 53, 51, 44, 42, 37, 36 — as Ronaldo has done in his magnificent career — isn’t high maintenance. Not really. If he requires a little more time and TLC, the majority of managers are happy to provide it.
This summer, though, Ronaldo has crossed the line. His return in the last campaign was decent — 24 goals in 38 games across all competitions — but it was not enough to propel Manchester United into the top four. Now, saddled with Europa League football, he wants out. He missed United’s pre-season tour, was substituted then skipped off before last weekend’s match with Rayo Vallecano had ended and he has made it clear he wants to leave with behaviour that is a direct challenge to new manager Erik ten Hag.
And he is not fit. Imagine that. Ronaldo, the buffest footballer on the planet, not in condition to play the first game against Brighton on Sunday. Ten Hag may have been referring to match fitness because, physically, Ronaldo still looks in shape — but, either way, this is new territory. Ronaldo has crept into the realm of the high maintenance pest: a
player who consumes a disproportionate amount of the manager’s attention, without delivering proportionate return. Paul Pogba was a high maintenance pest, too — and look at how he sucked the life from the club.
United seem to favour projecting Ten Hag as a no-nonsense disciplinarian, but he does not need this. Anthony Martial is out and United are short one striker for the weekend — but their top goalscorer from last season, and by 14 goals no less, cannot be called upon. United must not endure another sideshow and Ronaldo no longer merits one. If this is the player he wants to be, he is no longer worth the hassle.