Explained: What went wrong for Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United

Whether it’s on the field or off the field, Cristiano Ronaldo surely knows how to make headlines. The Portuguese footballer has been doing so for the past decade, week in, week out, and once again he set the footballing world on fire with his recent explosive interview with Piers Morgan. The striker outlined his unhappiness at his situation with Manchester United and how he felt ‘betrayed’ by those within the club. Ronaldo asserted that manager Erik ten Hag, and a couple of others of United’s top brass, made him out to be a ‘black sheep’ and were trying to force him out of the club.

Sadly, 15 months after his fairytale return to Old Trafford, the Cristiano Ronaldo saga has turned into a nightmare with the striker and the Red Devils ultimately parting ways with mutual agreement. But why it went wrong? What went wrong? and How it went wrong? – These are some questions that remain a perturbing mystery for some fans, while, on the other hand, many had already seen it coming.

When the 37-year-old superstar made a comeback to his former club last season, it was touted as one of United’s best signings in the recent past. Ronaldo did not disappoint fans either, scoring 24 goals in the 2021-22 season. But the problem started with the arrival of the Dutch manager from Ajax. Here we take a look at the timeline of some key events which contributed to Ronaldo’s relationship with the Manchester United management turning sour and his untimely exit. Missed preseason training and tours: It all began as early as the preseason when Ronaldo failed to report for training on time and then missed United’s preseason tours of Thailand and Australia. Notably, the striker had cited family issues due to which he was given an extended break. However, in a recent interview, Ronaldo accused Manchester United’s hierarchy of “doubting” his words when he told them his new-born daughter was sick after the death of his new-born son. Ronaldo said, “They kind of didn’t believe… something was wrong… which made me feel bad.” He added, “I didn’t go to… pre-season because of that. I wouldn’t let my family suffer for… pre-season.” Wanted United exit: It was widely reported that Ronaldo had asked to leave Manchester United after the Red Devils failed to secure a top-four finish in the 2021-22 season, thus failing to secure a Champions League berth. Despite Erik ten Hag expressing his desire to keep the forward this summer and insisting that he is firmly part of United’s squad, Ronaldo tried to leverage a move away from the club while hoping to play for continental glory as he nears the end of his career. But despite trying hard and requesting management to let him go, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner failed to find any suitable buyer. Left Old Trafford before full time: Amid the rumours linking Ronaldo with a summer transfer and despite not featuring in any of the Red Devils’ previous five pre-season fixtures, the 37-year-old striker made Erik ten Hag’s lineup for the friendly clash against Rayo Vallecano in August. But, Ronaldo did not stick around to hear the final whistle. At half-time Ten Hag replaced Ronaldo with Amad Diallo and the Portuguese footballer was later photographed outside the stadium before the close of the match. When United officials were whether Ronaldo was allowed to do that, the club was unable to offer a clarification, which indicated that Ronaldo and the United management weren’t on the same page. Refused to come on as a substitute: Things turned further sour last month when Ronaldo courted controversy by storming off the pitch into the locker room as an unused substitute before the end of Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. The incident received much flak from fans and pundits alike, who termed the Portugal captain’s actions as ‘disappointing’ amidst the impressive show by the Red Devils against the London outfit at Old Trafford.

This time Ronaldo’s action had repercussions as the very next day of the incident, manager Ten Hag announced via a club statement that Ronaldo was axed from the United squad for their next game against Chelsea. Moreover, Ronaldo was not even allowed to train with the rest of the squad due to his act of indiscipline. Lack of game time: Ronaldo had made only four Premier League starts this season at Old Trafford and it left him furious, which was visible numerous times. Bombshell interview: It won’t be wrong to say that Ronaldo went too far in his recent interview with Piers Morgan and it proved to be the last nail in the coffin. Ronaldo even hit out at his team and manager Erik ten Hag, saying he has no respect for the manager. “I don’t have respect for him (Erik Ten Hag) because he doesn’t show respect for me,” Ronaldo said. The striker also claimed Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, do not care about the club . “The Glazers, they don’t care about the club. I mean, professional sport, as you know, Manchester is a marketing club. They will get money from the marketing – the sport, it’s, they don’t really care, in my opinion,” said the Portuguese.

Ronaldo then talked about the stagnation at United since he left the club in 2009. “Nothing changed. Surprisingly. Not only the pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym… Even some points, the technology, the kitchen, the chefs, which is, I appreciate, lovely persons," said Ronaldo.

The Portugal international also singled out two former United teammates, Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, after criticism from the pair recently.

“I don’t understand. You should ask this question to him (Rooney) but I don’t know why he criticises me so bad,” he said. “He finished his career in (his) 30s. So, I’m still playing high-level. It’s hard to listen to that kind of criticism and negativity from people who play with you, for example, Gary Neville, as well. “People can have his (their) own opinion but they don’t really know what’s going on. For example, inside the training ground and Carrington or even my life. They have to listen to my point of view as well. Because it’s easy to criticise but if you don’t know the whole story, it’s easy. They are not my friends.” Ronaldo might have said a lot and revealed many issues in his interview but his age and statistics suggest the striker is way past his best and is in the twilight of his footballing career at 37. Notably, Ronaldo scored only three goals this season for Manchester United, with two coming in a competition — the Europa League — that he tried so hard in the summer to avoid having to play in. Here are some more shocking stats about Ronaldo’s performance in the ongoing season:

• Ronaldo’s shooting accuracy is just 31.6 percent this season, which is 16 percent lower than any of his previous 15 campaigns.
• His shot conversion rate has also taken a hit, dipping into single figures for the first time in a league campaign in 15 years – 5.2 percent.
• Ronaldo is scoring just 1 in every 3 big chances, which is his worst return.
• The striker has previously scored at least 2 goals in his first 10 games every season since 2006-07, but has netted only 1 goal this league campaign.

The above-mentioned stats justify Erik ten Hag’s decision to leave Ronaldo on the bench. The Dutch manager also criticised the former Real Madrid star for his lack of fitness and inability to press up front. Where once he was bullying defenders and finishing almost every half-chance that came his way, Ronaldo is now frequently caught offside and looks to be trying too hard to find his once talismanic talent. How Manchester United reacted to Ronaldo’s explosive interview? Following Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan, the Red Devils’ manager Ten Hag reportedly told Manchester United bosses that the Portuguese star should not play for the club again and that’s exactly what happened as Manchester United decided there was no way back for an all-time great who burned his bridges. The 20-time PL champions on Tuesday confirmed that Ronaldo will leave the club with immediate effect by mutual agreement “Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect. The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future. Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch,” Manchester United said in a statement. What next for Ronaldo? Notably, Ronaldo was drawing a weekly wage of £500,000 before parting ways with Manchester United. But given his reduced status in the game and his struggle to find the back of the net, it is highly unlikely that a top European club will come calling for him with a better or even a matching offer. Ronaldo, who is in Qatar for his fifth World Cup with Portugal, is undoubtedly a fading force and no club can pin all its hopes on a 37-year-old – no matter how physically fit he keeps himself.

Moreover, given his recent horrible form, Ronaldo has only option - to let his football do the talking in Qatar – if he aims to find any top-tier club in January. But even if he put up a good show at the FIFA World Cup, there’s no guarantee that a decent side will come up with an offer for him. Hence, it is safe to say that right now future looks bleak for the all-time top scorer in the history of football, Cristiano Ronaldo. Read all the Latest News ****, Trending News ****, Cricket News ****, Bollywood News ****, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook ****, Twitter and Instagram ****.