Ronaldo’s thoughts should have stayed behind closed doors
It’s hard now to see any way back for Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.
A lot of people are saying that his career at Old Trafford is finished, and it’s hard to disagree with that.
I cannot see him being there after the World Cup.
In his now notorious television interview, Ronaldo was critical of different people inside Manchester United, and of the football club in general.
And former team-mates, such as Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, were also on the receiving end of the Portugal star’s criticisms.
I’m pretty certain some of the stuff he has said would have cut pretty deep.
I found it all rather sad, and was disappointed it was put into the public domain.
Maybe Ronaldo felt now was the time to get some things off his chest.
I’ve no problem with people, in any walk of life, wanting to air any grievances they have.
But I think it’s best to do it privately, behind closed doors.
There is always a better chance of an amicable resolution if dirty linen isn’t aired in public.
The football side dominated many of the headlines, of course, but Ronaldo did also mention the personal tragedy around one of his twins, who were born in April.
His baby girl, Bella, was born healthy. But her brother, Angel, never pulled through.
It was clearly a horrible experience for Cristiano and his family. When he spoke about that time, it was extremely emotional.
Naturally, I have total sympathy for him. No parent would ever want to go through losing one of their children.
Now Ronaldo’s focus will be on doing well for Portugal in the World Cup.
And while they wait to hear just what United decide to do, his agents will probably be looking for options at club level.
Will a Champions League side want to sign him, and be able to come up with a lucrative package? That won’t be easy.
Managers, chairmen and chief executives might be considering the TV interview, and not be too comfortable with it.
They may think that if things don’t go to plan for Ronaldo at their club, then he might again fire a few shots in public.
The Portuguese forward is still extremely talented at 37 years old, and scored a lot of important goals for United last season.
But he doesn’t have the same impact on games that he used to.
United manager, Erik ten Hag – a target for Ronaldo’s criticism – will want to move on from this, and I’m sure he’ll let the people upstairs be in control of what happens next.
The Dutchman will focus on getting the best out of his squad after the World Cup, and pushing towards a Champions League finish.
However, it will not be easy. The Premier League is so competitive this season, and it’s not easy to win games of football.
Arsenal sit top of the table, and credit to Mikel Arteta and his players. He has made some brave decisions in the past 12 months, and they have paid off.
It will be interesting to see how his squad handles the pressure of being the leaders. But, so far, they look comfortable and relaxed with it.
But Mikel has been through it many times, and his experience and composure will be vital in the weeks and months ahead.
Newcastle United are also in the top four right now, and that’s a wonderful achievement by Eddie Howe.
He’s got them there by working hard with the players he inherited, and improving them. He has also signed well in the summer.
They will look to strengthen the squad in the January window, and may now have different types of targets in mind from what they had six months ago.
But it will be hard to find better than what they already have.
That’s the challenge when the team is doing well, and winning on a regular basis.
However, Manchester City will still be the team to beat. Pep Guardiola and his players know what it takes and they usually get over the line.
For the past few years, my stance has been that if you can finish one place above City, then it’s more than likely you’ll end up as champions.
That hasn’t changed.