It was a dreadful day for Manchester United, simply put they were blown out of the water by Manchester City in the derby. The 6-3 scoreline doesn’t look “as bad” when you take into account that they were down 4-0 at one point. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was asked after the game why Cristiano did not see the field in the matchup. His answer was clear: he said that at the time that he could’ve brought on Ronaldo the team was down 4-0, and he didn’t want Cristiano to be part of the humiliation, essentially out of respect for his amazing career.
While Erik ten Hag’s answer was direct, and actually made a lot of sense, would Ronaldo’s presence have made an impact on the game? Is this just another clear sign that Ronaldo is not going to be in Manchester come December?
Could Cristiano Ronaldo Realistically Have Impacted The Game?
Anthony Martial essentially came on instead of Cristiano Ronaldo. Martial was able to find the back of the net twice, although one of them was via penalty kick. It’s unlikely that Ronaldo could’ve done better. The bigger issue is that Man United wasn’t able to secure the back end. There were a lot of questions going into the game about that Man United defense, particularly because there was a major concern with how the team could stop Erling Haaland. The answer was clearly that they couldn’t.
There’s an argument to be made that the threat of Ronaldo up top could’ve kept the Manchester City back line more honest, not allowing them to play further up the field like they love to do. As we just mentioned though, it’s the United back line that needs the most help, not necessarily their attacking third.
What Does This Mean For Cristiano’s Future After The World Cup?
It was no secret that Cristiano Ronaldo wanted out of Manchester before the transfer window closed this summer. Erik ten Hag was honest about the fact that Cristiano was not going to be a part of his preferred starting 11. At this point, that may not be a bad idea for Cristiano though. Why not, play a couple of minutes for a team that could really use that spark in the second half? We’ve even argued that this super sub role could suit him well with Portugal at the World Cup in November.
The problem with his situation at Manchester United is that he doesn’t even seem to be that first sub option for Erik ten Hag. Also, the team is not ready to compete in the Premier League, and today’s match was a clear sign of that. Which team can compete for relevant titles, and use Cristiano in more of a complementary role? There are very few options out there, but there is one that potentially excites the fans. Real Madrid doesn’t have a traditional number 9 to back up Benzema who’s actually constantly injured. Could we see a homecoming for Ronaldo after the World Cup?
The End Is Near
With how dominant Cristiano was physically in his prime it would’ve seemed unthinkable to see him struggling like he is now. Father time is undefeated, and it looks like it has caught up to Cristiano. Another issue for the Portuguese international is that he has a large family that he doesn’t seem willing to take anywhere at this point. The Atlético Madrid rumors over the summer may have been more a testament to the fact that Ronaldo wants to head back to Madrid for family reasons. It was his camp that was trying to get back to Madrid, not Simeone looking to bring him along. If he can’t find a decent situation in a city that he likes, he may very well call it quits in about a year or so!
