The accusation that Manchester United are stuck in the past has been leveled against them for a long time, and the choice they made to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo the year before was perhaps the most glaring example of this.
Ronaldo is synonymous with past glories and was an integral part of Manchester United's most recent conquest of Europe under the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson. a promising youngster who, by the time he was 19, had become the best player in the world while also winning three Premier League championships, the Champions League, the FA Cup, and two League Cups. [Case in point:]
For devotees of bygone eras, such as the former Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, this made perfect sense. When you re-sign a club legend, you can bring back the glory days, and when you do that, trophies are sure to follow. Sadly, it doesn't work quite like that.
In his interview with Piers Morgan, which came at an inopportune time, Ronaldo stated, "Since Sir Alex Ferguson left, I saw no evolution in the club; the progress was zero." Ronaldo's comments were not well received. What Ronaldo does not realize is that he is the perfect example of the issue that he is describing to others.
The 37-year-old player wasn't even on United's radar until it became public knowledge that he was very close to signing with Manchester City. United reacted quickly to hijack the move, completely altering their team ethic overnight to cater for a goal-gluttonous superstar who contradicted everything they had been trying to build. This was done out of fear that the huge public relations disaster that would entail would ensue.
It was foolish on the part of the club to scrap their plans in order to sign Ronaldo, and it was equally foolish on the part of the veteran forward to accept the homecoming if his goals were to try and compete at the very highest level.
Following a second-place finish in the previous season, which was one that was hampered by the training ground nature of matches that were an unreliable gauge for progress, United's hopes of mounting a title challenge in the previous season were exaggerated and were based on a false premise. The team was discovered as soon as the crowds returned, which is when hostility started to play a role.
Ronaldo continued his already infamous interview by claiming that "nothing changed" after he had left the club. "The pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym, even some technology. Even the chefs, who I appreciate, lovely people. I thought I would see new technology and infrastructure. I saw things I saw when I was 20." "Even the chefs, who I appreciate, lovely people."
Before Ronaldo joined, he must have had complete knowledge of all of this information. Since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as manager of Manchester United, the club's decline has been front-page news around the world. However, conducting a few quick background checks would have been sufficient to validate any concerns with those already employed by the club.
Not only does it fall on Ronaldo's own advisers to evaluate whether or not it really was the right move for him, but surely he could have picked up the phone to compatriots Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot to ask for an honest appraisal of the club if he really did have concerns. If he really did have concerns, it falls not only on Ronaldo's own advisers to evaluate whether or not it really was the right move for him.
The reason for this is that he didn't come back to play for United; rather, he came back to play for Ronaldo. Ronaldo has shown his true colors as a self-centered solo artist who has no real care for the team that is around him now that he is no longer a part of the team and his ego is no longer being indulged by the manager who signed him. Now that he is no longer a part of the team, the manager who signed him has stopped indulging Ronaldo's ego.
Ronaldo is obviously unable to accept the reduced role he plays in the squad, and he appears to be genuinely perplexed as to why Erik ten Hag is not intimidated by his dwindling presence. The bottom line is that he is not reliable enough for the Dutchman's plans, and even when he has been backed this season, he has not yet delivered a commanding performance on the pitch. The bottom line is that he is not reliable enough for the Dutchman's plans.
In addition, despite the fact that he was absolutely right to point out the lack of investment in infrastructure between his two stints at the club, United is in the process of attempting to address this issue right this very second.
They made "interim modifications" to their long-term renovation plans in response to Ronaldo's concerns regarding the swimming pool and sauna facilities following his arrival, and the club also brought forward plans to build a new briefing room in the amount of £200,000 in response to a request from Ten Hag. Both of these concerns were raised after Ronaldo joined the club.
Since then, the club has made significant improvements to the swimming pool area by bringing it into the modern era by installing ice baths, steam rooms, a new jacuzzi, and new tiling. Additionally, they are contemplating the construction of accommodations at Carrington, which would be beneficial for the match preparation process.
Ronaldo is right that this has been neglected, but United should be given time to implement them instead of being blamed for a previous regime's mistakes.
United is implementing Ronaldo's changes. Next, remove him.
Wisdom Nnebi 7 w
Good one