Cristiano Ronaldo News and Analysis

Gary Neville finally told the bitter truth about Cristiano Ronaldo’s second stint at Manchester United

9Oct

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

Analysis

Gary Neville finally told the bitter truth about Cristiano Ronaldo’s second stint at Manchester United

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 sa...

Portugal have finally found the right balance with Cristiano Ronaldo under Jorge Jesus

Cristiano Ronaldo almost seems bigger than Portugal to the detriment of both himself and the team. He becomes the magnet for criticism, pinpointed as THE problem, seemingly absolving the others of accountability, whenever Portugal lose, but he also becomes disproportionately the conversation to the point where he looms over everyone else no matter what happens. Portugal have to prepare for life after Cristiano at some point, even as it is abundantly clear that, at 41 and in the Saudi Pro League, he is still the best option they have at striker despite, you know, never really being an out and out striker in his career. But as Goncalo Ramos continues to flop for club and country in terms of taking that next step towards being a top striker, Ronaldo becomes harder and harder to leave on th...

Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2021/22 season for Manchester United deserved so much better

In my estimation, one of the saddest stories in world football during the 2020s was Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United. I think for a lot of people who didn't watch Ronaldo's time at Man United when it actually happened, they don't understand how special his rise was. Everyone knew from the moment he stepped foot at Old Trafford that he could be something unique, but it wasn't easy for him at first because he wanted to play so freely and so differently than what people were used to seeing in English football. It honestly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, including some of his teammates. But it wasn't only Sir Alex Ferguson who took Ronaldo in and backed him to the fullest, believing in his talent. As a collective, the Manchester United fan base rallied around him in a w...