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Cristiano Ronaldo's body language on the Manchester United bench has been analysed by an expert, with the verdict being that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is "increasingly unhappy and desperate".
Ronaldo was an unused substitute for the 6-3 mauling at the hands of rivals Manchester City, with Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both bagging hat-tricks at the Etihad Stadium.
Marcus Rashford returned to fitness just in time to make the starting XI, denying Ronaldo a start.
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United found themselves 4-0 down at half-time but Ronaldo did not enter the fray at all. Instead, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Anthony Martial and Fred were the five substitutes for the visitors.
The cameras regularly panned to Ronaldo on the bench and he had a variety of expressions - but all showed equal frustration and disbelief.
Darren Stanton, a body language expert, has shared insight on Ronaldo's feelings watching his side get destroyed - revealing he was showing signs of "contempt" and "disdain".
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"A micro expression is a very quick flash that the face makes on an unconscious level which reveals the person’s real internal emotion and is only visible for about less than a second," Darren told The Mirror, courtesy of MyBettingSites.
"If you know what to look for it’s very visible. As we look at the footage of Ronaldo, he makes a one-sided smile so the left-hand side of his face and cheek wrinkles puff up. This is the emotion of contempt so he has nothing but disdain, a little bit of anger, frustration and impatience for what is happening on the pitch, as he’s on the bench, it’s clear he’s unhappy that he’s not playing and feels a great sense of desperation.”
When City went 3-0 up as Haaland got on the end of Kevin De Bruyne's delicious pass, Ronaldo was seen with his head in his hands.
That was also a telling gesture from Ronaldo, who has started just one league game this term after finishing as the team's top scorer last season.
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Darren added: "Ronaldo also puts his head in his hands which is a classic sign of frustration. It’s also a self-reassurance gesture indicating an increase in the level of frustration and impatience that is growing within him.
"I think Ronaldo is thinking there is potentially some sort of agenda why he continues to be placed on the bench and not on the pitch at crucial moments. So overall, Ronaldo is not a happy player and I predict this will happen for many games this year. Ronaldo has increasingly seemed very impatient, frustrated and angry in recent months."
Ronaldo wanted out at United in the summer but a move did not materialise. Roy Keane, his former United teammate, claims the club are disrespecting him and should have let the Portuguese superstar leave.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag told media he elected against bringing Ronaldo on "out of respect" for the 37-year-old's "big career".
Featured Image Credit: Image: Sky SportsTopics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Premier League, Manchester City
