Dont think anyone is gullible enough to believe the family issues reason for not joining preseason anymore. United should make sure that either he stays or leaves for non english club who can pay the transfer fee. Anything else like breaking his contract without transfer fee, joining chelsea etc shouldnt be entertained.
Ronaldo: Stay or go?
- Thread starter TheReligion
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I was wondering why he has decided to leave with only a number of weeks remaining before the season starts? He knew we were not in the champions league even before the previous season ended.
Does anyone have the timeline when Maguire was told by EtH he would remain captain and Ronaldo's transfer request?
PS: This could just well be my mind wondering.
Does anyone have the timeline when Maguire was told by EtH he would remain captain and Ronaldo's transfer request?
PS: This could just well be my mind wondering.
At this point, it looks more like the main problem is that no one's really prepared to take him. His wages will outweigh any transfer fee in any case.
If an EPL taker emerges (for which the likelihood seems pretty much zero at this point, given that only CL participants would fit the bill), I suppose a loan might be a solution. That way, he wouldn't be able to play against United. That'd be more than good enough for me.
Cruyff isn’t even the best European footballer ever, never mind top 2 in the world ever. Have friends who’ve seen Cruyff in his prime and Best was better in their opinion.
Maradonna was a force of nature in his prime, made good teams great, not many players have done that.
Sadly, I disagree. If he keeps Ronaldo it solves one problem, but will create so many more & on balance I think ETH knows this. Do not underestimate what damage Ronaldo will do within the dressing room, together with that other example of Portugese petulance (Bruno Fernandes). I bet the new manager will have already noticed a change in mood: togetherness and team cohesion on the American trip vs stress and tension now they are back the UK. This is definitely the first real test for ETH: he needs to stand up for what is right for the club - get Ronaldo out and use the money saved to buy a replacement, even if it it means taking a risk on a player from from division one or the championship.
This would have the added advantage of indicating to a certain member of the board, that he is not the boss anymore, Erik Ten Hag is. Come and watch the matches, be a club ambassador by all means, but as regards actual decisions which have real consequences leave it to the new guy, he isn't a relatively inexperienced manager like OGS and it isn't 2012 its 2022.
That phone call last August to persuade Ronaldo to come back was not the first of Sir Alex's big mistakes (there is a dedicated thread on this elsewhere) but it has to be the last. What was the ex-manager even doing at the ground at the same time as Ronaldo's crunch talks earlier in the week? The telegraph reported it as unconnected, a pre-arranged board meeting - so the timing was just a coincidence then? Man Utd. have two GOATs who just don't want to quit and who want to remain in the spotlight - sadly they both risk tarnishing their reputations, one needs to go and one needs to stay in the background. To not do so would be dealing the new manager a bad hand from the start and he ain't gonna get four years to become a success - 18 months tops*, he should be allowed to start those 18 months without all this baggage to deal with because signing Ronaldo was not his call.
*P.S. If ETH's contract is similar to that given to Moyes, Van Gaal, Mourinho & Solksjaer he might have the must-reach target of Champions League qualification to meet. That is going to be very difficult, because the new rules enabling the top-five to qualify don't come in till 2024 and even that raises another worry: I bet by 2024 Newcastle will be a top-5 contender.
/thread
I dont think TH will be sacked if we dont qualify this season provided we are playing much better football. I think we may struggle in the first few games before it becomes second nature to everyone the style he wants to play. He would need to qualify the year after though i would imagine.
this
Have we heard anything from the club to suggest this, any small hints even that ETH is here for the long-term irrespective of results and league position? I can't recall anything along those lines, so can only conclude the same target will be in place as the other post-Alex Ferguson managers had. It is simply imperative a club the size of Man Utd. with its history, is playing in the top competition. UEFA know it, the Glazers and board know it and I bet ETH will know it if he reads the small print of his contract.
If in early 2023 Utd. are behind Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Villa & maybe West Ham and even Newcastle (eminently possible looking at their form since Christmas) do you really think there won't be talk of getting another new manager - the papers will be going mad & so will this place. MUFC really should say now that ETH will be given time - to take the pressure of him and the players, it might actually help.
I don't remember Pele and Cruyff playing so I can't comment about that. However comparing Ronaldo with Maradona is blasphemy. Maradona thrived during the golden age of defenders, at a time when the catenaccio system was in its prime, when football was still brutal and were sports fitness was still in its infancy. The Serie A of the time of Diego Armando Maradona was of such high level that the Serie A top scorers would struggle to score beyond 20 goals despite having players like Rummenigge (who was 2nd top scorer in the 85-86 season with 13 goals), Platini (who ended up 3rd top scorer in the 85-86 with just 12 goals), Vialli (2nd top scorer with 12 goals during the 86-87 season), Careca (2nd top scorer during the 87-88 season with 13 goals), Van Basten (2nd top scorer with 19 goals during the 88-89 season) and Baggio (3rd top scorer with 15 goals during the 88-89 season). The likes of Ian Rush would go to the Serie A and make an utter fool of himself by scoring just 7 goals in 27 matches. That's how high the bar was set at the time.
Maradona almost singlehandedly dragged Napoli and Argentina to league titles and WC success. Ronaldo had never faced defenders of the calibre of Baresi and Scirea and he certainly never faced aholes like Gentile or the 'butcher of Bilbao' Andoni Goikoetxea.
He says he has a club and we are to name our price, (according to the DM).
Didnt murtough say he will be given time to develop the team, mentioning they liked his long term vision? I think that would mean more than a season to put things right, otherwise would TH have agreed to come?
Havent the board let their side of the arrangement down, by not getting all his targets in place for the start of the tour like he wanted as well?
I think he will be given this season to get the ball rolling. I expect next summers transfer window to be better, with TH here to identify early on whats needed. If next season 23/24, we dont qualify, then he could be sacked.
Oh I hadn't read that, sounds positive (the bit about being given more time - not the lack of transfers-in). I think ETH is coming in at possibly the worst possible time, the whole economy is in turmoil because of recovering from the pandemic and Russia/Ukraine, plus he has the added complication of Ronaldo acting up. I'm prepared to be patient - I just hope the board remains so if things get worse before they get better (e.g. a mid-table fight next season). But I fear that the papers and people on here will not be able to accept that and the pressure will build up on the new manager even in his first season, so I hope you are correct.
He's starting to really piss me off now
I wonder if half the reason for his wanting out is ETH is treating him like any other member of the squad - I wouldn't be surprised if with Ole he got special treatment, more say in decisions etc. Maybe expected to be made captain too.
I wonder if half the reason for his wanting out is ETH is treating him like any other member of the squad - I wouldn't be surprised if with Ole he got special treatment, more say in decisions etc. Maybe expected to be made captain too.
I am now feeling that way given the latest bullshit on Instagram from him when asked by a fan if he was leaving, and he bangs on about the media lying and one day they will get it right, does he really see us as that bloody gullible and naive ? As if the rags are lying, why rock up with mendes the other day, nah more like scared he won't get his move and will get booed by sections of our fan base.
Some papers saying he might go back to Sporting - well, that would give him all of six CL games. They've got almost as little chance of progressing as we have!
Well I saw lots of Cruyff so I'll stick to my opinion thanks. Your comments on him are like me commenting on Puskas - a player who I never saw but people a bit older than me say he might have been better than anyone (84 goals in 85 matches for Hungary)
Well said, I couldn't agree more.
If Ronaldo wants to act like a petulant child, refusing to join the pre-season tour, demanding a move away, then give him what he wants. The club comes first.
Apologies if this has been raised elsewhere but is there a clause in his contract that allows him to be released if the club missed out on CL football? I'm guessing not otherwise he would have left already. I'm just amazed he didn't insist on one unless he assumed would would qualify easily?
Same, I thought that would have been one of the first things in his contracts. Especially as we've spent half our time as a Europa side last 10 years
Assume you’ve seen Ronaldo denying reports yet again.
This place is so toxic. Similar to Twitter if not worse. General forum too on other topics. How about people relax a little and see how things play out before the name calling and insults.
This place is so toxic. Similar to Twitter if not worse. General forum too on other topics. How about people relax a little and see how things play out before the name calling and insults.
Tbf after finishing second and signing Varane, Sancho, and Ronaldo (on paper better than it's been obviously) you'd feel pretty safe in assuming we'd get top four. Last season was shockingly bad...
Taxfrauds paying «shutup-money» to silence their rapeaccusers you do have time for though……
…..where do you stand on going down too easily to win penalties? Cheating?
We agree on the drug part though.
Have you ever seen Pele play?
He trained today?
Yes I agree Top 4 was practically a given but still surprised he didn't have a get out clause just in case? Never assume eh - especially with this club.....?
can you imagine the rage of some people here i it had come out that he had a get out clause...
Cristiano Benchaldo
Good. That leaves the door open for Ronaldo to leave later in the window with (hopefully) minimal media drama when he finds himself on the bench for the early weeks of the season.
Or more right
Warmerano Benchaldo
Warmerano Benchaldo
It would be a sweet irony if we can meet Sporting and Ronaldo in the Europa League.
You think it would be funny? You think our poor defence could stop him? No thanks; not that it'll happen
Could your head be any further up Ronaldo's arse
could you be any more blind? name anyone who was better than him last season. Name anyone with the record he has across three vastly different leagues
Good on ETH. We do need to dispel the mythical status that follows Ronaldo. He's just a player. If he doesn't perform, he gets benched.
I'm completely open to Ronaldo going, but not at all without a replacement coming in. We can't afford to not have him in the squad if we're not replacing the goals from somewhere. We are too light in the attack department.
The situation we are in where the club is pleading with a 37 year old ronaldo past his prime to stay at the club just highlights how far away we are from catching up with the top sides in premier league and europe.
It's a sad state of affairs, look at Bayern, they were actively preparing during the season to replace Lewandowski this summer with haaland despite Lewandowski showing no signs of his ability declining and even when they couldn't get haaland they still found a very good replacement from a top side in Liverpool.
We on the other hand had no preparation (as per usual) of life after ronaldo this summer and it has now left us praying for a big turn around from rashford, sancho, bruno and martial.
It's a sad state of affairs, look at Bayern, they were actively preparing during the season to replace Lewandowski this summer with haaland despite Lewandowski showing no signs of his ability declining and even when they couldn't get haaland they still found a very good replacement from a top side in Liverpool.
We on the other hand had no preparation (as per usual) of life after ronaldo this summer and it has now left us praying for a big turn around from rashford, sancho, bruno and martial.
embarrassing stuff.
I'm happy for him to stay as I don't think our other options can be relied on to any level, but this is the only sensible conclusion from Ten Hag.
However in shape you look on the Instagram photos, you can't be away for most of pre season and expect to start or play 90mins for a few weeks.
It suits us and Ten Hag in a way, as it gives us a chance to see what the alternatives look like. And if they start the season in a storming fashion, they keep the shirts.
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