Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo was the best player in the world in his first stint at the club and made sure the Red Devils stayed on top, but his second stint as a veteran who had already conquered football was a disaster.
Although Cris was amazing in the 2021/22 season as a goal-scorer, Man United almost seemed to go backwards as a team. And while he was right about a lot of the criticisms of Erik ten Hag and the club on his way out, his exit did not sit well with many fans, and neither did his lack of work rate on the pitch or his treatment of some of the young players.
Speaking on The Overlap podcast, another Manchester United legend and Cristiano’s former teammate Gary Neville spoke unkindly of Cris’s second stint at the club, pointing out that he did not show the same grace to the young players that he was afforded when he first arrived at Old Trafford as a smarmy, raw kid.
Neville said, “I find it difficult because I remember the 18-year-old kid who came to United, and for two or three years he was imperfect, to say the least. His numbers are absolutely incredible, but the patience and the tolerance that was demonstrated to him by senior players when we were younger was incredible. I don’t think that when he was at United the second time, he repaid the young… I don’t think he treated the young players like that, and I found that difficult.”
Looking at how things turned out for Ronaldo and Man United in his second stint and seeing how things are unfolding now with him and the young players on the Portuguese national team, it’s hard not to think that Neville is right about all this.
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THE TRIVELA EFFECT
Purveyor of footy since the 90s. Favor the Premier League and old school Serie A with a touch of Bundesliga. More than a touch. Professional writer for 20 years, covering every sport but now focused on the Premier League and world football. You won’t be able to guess my favorite team.