It is going to be extremely interesting to see whether or not the explosive interview that Cristiano Ronaldo gave will actually destroy his legacy at Manchester United.
Some people will always remember him as the young boy who came to the team when it was just starting out and left it as the best player on the entire planet. 145 goals scored in 346 games played, three victories in the Premier League, one in the Champions League, and several victories in domestic cup competitions. Others will remember him as the self-indulgent striker whose pursuit of personal interests not only built his reputation in the game but also brought it crashing down. He was a player whose reputation in the game was built and brought down as a result of his pursuit of personal interests. A player who used to do his talking on the field is now only doing it in interviews. Previously, he did it on the field.
In point of fact, many people will remember him for all of the aforementioned reasons. It is impossible to forget Ronaldo's legendary status at the club or the countless iconic moments he delivered while wearing the United jersey during his time there. The only thing that has changed is how people will remember him: as someone who put himself before the interests of the club and caused further unrest at a time when things appeared to be beginning to change. This is the only thing that has changed.
The question that needs to be answered is whether or not the current owners will continue to run the business even if significant changes are made.
When previous managers were in charge of United, the club appeared to experience a number of similar turning points. Most notably, there were times during both Jose Mourinho's and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenures when there was a genuine belief that they were on the right track and capable of putting together a serious title challenge once again. This was especially true during the former.
However, everything fell apart rather quickly. When it seemed like United had turned a corner, they actually went around in circles, with the same criticisms about the overall structure of the club, a lack of direction on the football front, and a lack of investment that did not match the money that they had available. Despite the fact that it looked like United had turned a corner, they actually went around in circles.
Even in the midst of United's recent success with Erik ten Hag at the helm, there are still questions regarding just how far the Dutchman can really take the club. This is due to the fact that United enters the World Cup break in fifth place in the table, following a summer in which record investment was made.
In the future, the club will not only require additional funds to be made available for the purpose of revamping the playing squad, but it will also require additional investments in order to maintain its stadium and training facilities.
When the owners do not have the necessary driving love for the club and dedication to making them the best in the world again, it is difficult to see any of that happening to the required level.
Ronaldo stated to Piers Morgan that the Glazer family, who own the club, "do not care about the club or professional sport." Ronaldo also mentioned that he has not met the Glazer family since they took control of the club.
United supporters have been vocal in their opposition to the ownership of the club, and they did so once again during the victory over Fulham at the weekend.
Even though the fans are on board with Ten Hag and the team that he has started to put together, there is an underlying fear that the Dutchman will one day be let down by the larger machine that is above him, despite the fact that he is making his best efforts to put things right.
United have not won a trophy since they raised the Europa League trophy in 2017, and as that last piece of silverware nears its sixth anniversary, there will undoubtedly be new demonstrations against the Glazer family when club football resumes the following month. United have not won a trophy since 2017.
Ronaldo continued by saying, "The fans are always right." They need to be aware of the reality. The players have the club's best interests at heart. I have the best interests of the club in mind. This is the reason I chose to work at Manchester United, and it's also the reason I adore this club.
You have some things going on inside the club that are preventing Manchester from reaching the top level played at by City, Liverpool, and even Arsenal at this point. It's a tricky situation. It's not an easy task. It's not easy."
There is still a valid criticism of the club's ownership, and it is a powerful one given that it has come from the poster boy of the club and the biggest social media personality on the planet: Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo cannot be forgiven for the way he has handled himself in recent days, but amongst the chaos he has caused, there is still a valid criticism of the club's ownership.
The timing of those comments is the subject of the counterargument. It was his decision to go back to the team that the Glazer family owned, and if he really had such strong feelings against their ownership, he had plenty of other chances to voice his disapproval. However, his words would have carried more weight if they had been made while he was still an important part of the team.
The irony is that the exact reason why they re-signed him is because of those poor, rash decisions that were driven entirely by the pursuit of financial gain. He is a representation of the problems that he harps on.
Even in the calm before the storm, it may still seem like a catastrophe for United, but in reality, this may be the greatest blessing that could ever come in a disguise. Ronaldo has publicly called out the owners, and now Ten Hag has been given free reign to cut their problematic highest-earner loose. Ronaldo has also publicly called out the owners.
Fans of Manchester United will hold out hope that Ronaldo has taken some action to convince the Glazer family to follow him out the door.
