Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United told Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘part of the problem’ by former Premier League star
Speaking to talkSPORT (h/t Manchester Evening News), ex-Premier League striker Carlton Cole slated Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo for not improving the club since his arrival, telling the team that the Portuguese is ‘part of the problem’ at Old Trafford currently.
United slumped to a FA Cup fourth-round exit, as they lost to Championship side Middlesbrough on penalties at Old Trafford after the game ended 1-1. Ronaldo, in particular, had a night to forget, with the forward missing a penalty in the first half and failing to find the back of the net against a side that played one division below the Red Devils.
Cole, who played for West Ham United in the Premier League in two different spells with the club, was critical of Ronaldo’s performance in the defeat. The former player said that Ronaldo failed in becoming a leader on the pitch, and lacked the tenacity to inspire the side to victory. Cole said:
“Obviously you’re going to look for Ronaldo but I don’t know whether he can lead by example anymore. He hasn’t got that tenacity.
The ex-Real Madrid man dispatched his penalty in the shootout, but could not prevent his club from crashing out of the FA Cup and missing out on yet another opportunity to get their hands on a trophy. With this loss, United are in danger of not winning any silverware since 2017.
Ronaldo not the answer?
Cole was extremely critical of United after the loss to Middlesbrough, saying that the club looked like a side with no drive and no passion. Apart from the missed penalty, Ronaldo also wasted a few chances to score and put the tie beyond doubt.
The former West Ham striker said that Ronaldo too is part of United’s problem at the moment, talking about how the United legend’s arrival at Old Trafford has not improved the side or taken them to a level that makes them win consistently and fight for trophies.
“The evidence shows, and not even just from tonight, but going on everything that has happened since he came in, Man United still have not gone to the next level. I’m not saying it’s just Ronaldo’s fault – a lot of things have happened – but he is part of the problem too.”
Friday night’s FA Cup clash bore witness to what was probably Ronaldo’s worst performance in a United jersey this season, as he failed to inspire the team to a win against an opponent against whom the Red Devils were favourites to win. Multiple chances went begging to be finished, including mistakes made by the Boro keeper which should have been buried by United’s stars.
Ronaldo took the headlines for missing a first-half penalty which could have sent his side into the competition’s fifth round, and was poor overall. The same man who scored last-minute winners for United went missing in the game, and could not repeat the same theatrics in the end to claim a win for his side.
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It marked yet another low for United this season, having already seen manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked mid-season and witnessed the club crash out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup competitions as they lose out on more trophies. The Red Devils are also in a race to finish in the top four, and rest assured, more performances like that on Friday night will see them miss out on Champions League qualification.
Ronaldo meanwhile, will look to put this disappointment behind him and bounce back in the Premier League game against Burnley midweek. The forward is used to criticism over his long and illustrious career, and has often shut his critics up with goal-scoring efforts almost immediately. United fans should, and can expect the same from him soon in the next fixture.
