Cristiano Ronaldo's refusal to come on in Manchester United's 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday could be the lowest point of his remarkable career.
The Portugal international storming down the tunnel as Anthony Elanga and Christian Eriksen made their way onto the Old Trafford pitch felt like a watershed moment. United's over-reliance on big names, needing to pander to their every need is over. We're living in the Erik ten Hag era.
It's since been confirmed Ronaldo will not be involved in United's clash with Chelsea on Saturday evening. His standing among United fans is the lowest it's been since he attempted to force a move to Real Madrid in 2008.
On August 31 2021, 'Viva Ronaldo' echoed across Manchester to celebrate an icon's return. It's a vastly different mood 416 days later. What happened to get to this point?
The appointment of Erik ten Hag
Ronaldo scored 24 goals in all competitions last season but recorded their lowest-ever Premier League points tally. A reset was required. Ten Hag arrived from Ajax with a specific style of play, which a 37-year-old forward would find tricky to adapt to. The Times reported in October Ronaldo was 'dismayed' by ten Hag's methods, wanting the Red Devils to play differently. Considering ten Hag has now beaten Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs at home, you have to think he's doing something right.
A fanbase increasingly tired of player power
United are riding a wave of optimism right now, but let's not forget how toxic things have been in the last 18 months. Supporters have seen club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and outsider Ralf Rangnick fail with this squad.
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Everyone has realised the manager might not be the biggest problem. Support for ten Hag is unwavering on the red side of Manchester. Choosing right now to defy the manager is counter-productive for Ronaldo.
His attempt to leave in the summer
During the transfer window, Ronaldo attempted to leave United in search of Champions League football. The timing couldn't have been stranger.
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Reports of Ronaldo pushing for a departure emerged on July 3, 42 days after the season had ended, with United in sixth after a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. Waiting so long did nothing but hammer home Ronaldo wasn't bothered about United's plight.
United's team is getting younger
Six players departed as free agents at the end of 21/22. Lee Grant, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani all departed upon the expiry of their contract.
Four of those players were over the age of 30, while Pogba and Lingard's relationships with the club extended back to their days in the academy. The average age of United's team in 21/22 was 27, while this term it's down to 26.6.
Even the world's best players decline physically
Ronaldo explained in a statement on Thursday: "I’m the same person and the same professional that I’ve been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision making process." Try as he might, Ronaldo is no longer the tricky teenager that arrived from Madeira in 2003. We're all getting older.
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In a pressing system, it starts to create an issue. Per FBRef, Ronaldo averaged 6.71 pressures per game and 2.01 successful pressures last season. That puts him in the bottom one per cent of Premier League strikers. Can a team pushing for Champions League football accept numbers that low?
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erik Ten Hag