Man Utd savaged for signing ‘selfish’ Ronaldo over superior target; Rangnick call to prompt early exit
Man Utd blundered when signing Cristiano Ronaldo rather than Erling Haaland, and the future of Ralf Rangnick could prompt an early exit for the Portuguese, claims Paul Ince.
Ronaldo was treated to a hero’s reception upon returning to Old Trafford last summer. The Portuguese icon kicked off his second stint at Man Utd in fine style, though both his and the club’s form quickly took a dive.
United were ruthlessly exposed under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, leading to the Norwegian’s sack. Ronaldo, meanwhile, has now gone five league matches without scoring and his goals ratio in that competition is well below one in two (8 in 20).
In contrast, long-time target Erling Haaland continues to blaze a trail in Germany. The 21-year-old has plundered 16 goals in 14 Bundesliga matches this term.
Haaland is expected to become the subject of a fierce transfer battle in the summer. His reported release clause of around £63m is sure to generate widespread interest.
United had thought to be in a strong position to land the Norwegian in the past. However, ESPN recently revealed the club’s turmoil has removed them from the equation.
Now, speaking to the Sun, former United midfielder Paul Ince has taken aim at the directionless club.
Ronaldo setting a bad example – Ince
“When Ole first took the helm the project was about going young but all of a sudden they were bringing in 37-year-olds,” said the two-time Premier League winner.
“You think, ‘why didn’t you just go and get Haaland?’ You didn’t need Ronaldo, but it’s just the fact that everyone thought he was going to Man City.
“Everyone thought it was great when he first came and if it wasn’t for Ronaldo, they wouldn’t still be in the Champions League.
“People were saying he would be great for the club, the players and the youngsters. We thought that would be the case but the example he is setting, by throwing his toys out of the pram, is a bad one. Why would you listen to someone who is prepared to act the way he is?
“As we’ve seen on numerous occasions – running down the tunnel, not clapping fans, sulking – it’s not a good example to set.
“I get the frustration but you’ve got to take that out behind closed doors, not in full view of the fans and cameras.”
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“We saw it at Juventus”
Ince went on to claim Ronaldo’s incredible self-determination is in fact a negative for the team in a wider sense.
He continued: “He was flying when he started but then he stopped getting the service, started dropping deeper to where he wasn’t a danger to anybody, and then the frustration came.
“He is a selfish player – Ronaldo is about Ronaldo. If he isn’t scoring, he won’t be happy. We saw it at Juventus when, after he left, Giorgio Chiellini said they can be a family again.
“It should be about Manchester United and the team but it’s become all about Ronaldo, and now we are seeing the full frustration.”
Ronaldo’s contract in Manchester expires in the summer of 2023.
However, speculation has begun to swirl of a premature exit. Indeed, former club Real Madrid have been credited with interest, and a Spanish report claimed Ronaldo has tasked his agent with engineering a way out.
Regardless, Ince reckons Ronaldo’s future will rest on what United do with Rangnick. If the German gets the managerial gig on a permanent basis, Ince thinks Ronaldo will leave.
“Whether he stays next year, I don’t know,” added Ince. “It depends on who comes in at the end of the season. If Rangnick stays, I think you’ll see Ronaldo going.
“If Mauricio Pochettino comes in, he might stay. But Ronaldo has to play – you can’t be paying someone half a million pounds a week to sit on the bench against Burnley when you need three points.
“If he’s not playing, I can’t see him being here next season.”
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