He wouldn't be the first player offered the moon and then lied to. And you guys are focused on the wrong question. What if Cristiano isn't granted leave? I mean Harry Kane didn't get his move to City, yet that didn't stop him from getting top four last season with a team that was in sorrier shape than ours before they got Conte (and as I recall, the rumor was Cristiano had Mendes advise the United board against the hiring of Conte). If Cristiano leaves, c'est la vie. But if he stays...
https://www.skysports.com/football/...ited-until-at-least-january-says-erik-ten-hag just about two weeks now
No takers for Ronaldo, reality check for him. I was hoping he would leave so we can get new CF who can play ETH style.
So much for the tell all. https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/19773576/man-utd-stars-believe-ronaldo-january-exit/ - b/c he missed preseason, he's not up to speed with EtH approach - relying on his instincts, drops deep too early to demand ball - he will score less from the bench b/c EtH changes make United less attacking EtH should try to address issues with him before we get more drama again in Jan that could distract squad like last summer. If that means selling him in Jan, so be it, but make that decision early then.
Yes wasn't he supposed to tell us all about the truth about what was going on after the transfer window closed?
Until we hear otherwise, gonna have to assume all the fuss was; - wanted to play CL football - unhappy at the 25% pay-cut this season all our players have for failing to get CL (~£480 kpw down to ~£360k for him) - loss of image / prestige from above (eg no longer best paid EPL player / CL goals record / Europa League) - him / agent unable to find suitable CL club (ie not wanted by big CL clubs anymore) That is how it appears, he needs to correct the record if it aint so and the truth is something a lot different. He was late to pre-season, not communicated why. Many assumed owing to wanting another club. Huge sympathy to him on the death of his son in April - so feels maybe related to that and / or spending time with wife & surviving twin daughter, which if so understandable. If so then not sure we his agent didnt say so - as we all know how things play out in a vacuum.
He needs to adjust to reality. He is not the same player he was couple of seasons ago and most teams play dynamic pressing football.
He isn't fit to play for a top half team in England. He's garbage. Brighton are the only top 10 team without a CF better than him and he wouldn't make them better. In fact, strip away the pedigree, just make him his performances on the field and he wouldn't play significant minutes for anyone in the league barring injury issues save for Forest. He's just bad bad bad. He's capable of finishing some chances, but the number of (bad) shots he takes and the possessions/positions they ruin would be enough to disuade most top teams from playing him. By the time you add his lack of dynamism/vertical threat, his unwillingness to help the press it becomes harder to see him be impactful at a top half club. Then there are the bad touches he takes and the bad decisions he makes. I'll be so glad when he's gone. Worst personnel decision the club has made in 30 years and that is saying something.
Ronaldo is 38 in Feb. Nobody can beat ageing despite appearances. Muscles age, fast-twitch muscles at a higher rate and VO2Max declines also - it just is what it is. Dynamic, pressing forward in the EPL is a game for players younger than him. As a club, thanks to the Glazers we have been made to watch more than our fare share of stars play well beyond their best years. I am much happier when we are signing players under 25 for a whole load of reasons. We now have a very expensive bench-warmer. Just not sure he is the type of player who can still be consistently effective coming of the bench. Players who can come of the bench and regularly nail it are few and far between. The fact the club were contemplating loaning him to a CL club this year on the proviso he played for us next season (when he will turn 39) shows how lacking in football smarts our owners are. They just see the marketability. Hopefully he can still contribute (given we didn't sign a #9). For sure, this needs to be his last season with us.
The issue is his salary and whether he can accept a more bit part role. Italy could suit him at his age, but the money isn't there. Last I checked, he was entertaining that ridiculous Saudi offer.
A great player relishes the hard stuff. It's good to see Cristiano going for that. It shows he wants to win.
https://www.skysports.com/football/...lay-cristiano-ronaldo-in-derby-out-of-respect two opposite views there. i can see it from both sides
Nah, engineering a move to city and we end up signing him. We should have never considered it. But he ********ed around and found out.
I don't buy Keano's opinion here. He could have gone in the summer if he agreed to reduce his salary. Nobody except us wants to pay him that astronomical salary. It was a bad move all round. I said it at the time he should have gone to City as he's finished, plus predictably he disrupted our forward play that was looking good the year before. Plus we might have stood a better chance at Haaland this summer(still unlikely I know but we'd have more salary $$$ to play with).
I would say forward play was great up to the point he join (Mason was doing great as the #9 the first few matches). CR7 joined, Mason go back to RW. Less opportunity to integrate Sancho; less minutes for Cavani, Martial, Rashford; can't use Pogba as LW anymore. We basically blew up our attack to accommodate a post expiration date CR7
you guys keep talking about the football side of it when he was clearly a commercial signing. it wasn't as simple as lowering salary demands. United had to be willing to let him go as well and the Glazers simply weren't. even if we grant all that, Keane still has a point. even if he is only here to sell shirts he will sell more of them if he plays (and scores). realistically we weren't getting any other forward close to that caliber. too many clubs needed and still need one and we were not an attractive proposition then or now. there's a reason chelsea had to settle for 33 year old Aubameyang
He scored 34 goals and 4 assists in 44 games the season before we signed him. I’m not sure we thought it’d be a purely commercial signing. And he’ll still sell jerseys even if he’s riding the bench. I hate that we signed him again.
He scored 34 goals and 4 assists in 44 games the season before we signed him. I’m not sure we thought it’d be a purely commercial signing. And he’ll still sell jerseys even if he’s riding the bench. I hate that we signed him again.
i don't disagree. it wasn't purely commercial but primarily. hence why i said we weren't realistically getting a better striker anyway. it just happened to line up fairly nicely in a couple aspects. i actually don't think he's done either. he needs accommodation like all strikers do, maybe more than most but he can still do a job. he showed that last season in a very mediocre side
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...-ronaldo-can-leave-manchester-united-january/ Reports claims United board have sanctioned his transfer for January.