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When Sir Alex Ferguson signed an 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon, less did Manchester United fans know the Portugal striker would become one of their greatest club legends. Cut to October 2022, and the puzzle gripped the Red Devils is something supporters would have never fathomed. Should Erik ten Hag move on from the 37-year-old icon's strop at Old Trafford and give him a chance to prove his mettle, or should they release him in the January transfer window if the talisman fails to find a suitor? Here's what former legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson might have probably done.
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The drama that started in July after Ronaldo expressed his desire to leave Manchester United for a shot at Champions League glory has now boiled over following the Portuguese superstar's latest drama at Old Trafford. On Wednesday, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner stormed down the tunnel in the 89th minute of the Red Devils' 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur and is said to have left the 'Theatre of Dreams' before the final whistle. Football enthusiasts and pundits launched a scathing attack on the player, with several people dubbing his behaviour as 'unacceptable and disrespectful'.
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Ten Hag addressed the incident after the game on Amazon Prime. "He (Ronaldo) was there, I have seen him but I didn't speak. I will deal with that tomorrow not today," the Dutchman said. The United boss has now axed Ronaldo from the weekend trip to Chelsea and appears to be following in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson. The latter had a reputation for offloading star players at the first sign of trouble during his 27-year tenure.
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Ferguson's relationship with legendary player David Beckham was arguably one of the most infamous ones, leading to a breakdown. In his 2013 book 'My Autobiography', the Scot explains, "The minute a Manchester United player thought he was bigger than the manager, he had to go." Most fans of that era would remember the former boss' ruthlessness, which became legendary, and would wonder if he was still in charge of the club, would he have acted on these exact words in the Ronaldo situation?
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The Portuguese talisman has started just one of Manchester United's previous eight Premier League games and none of the six victories during that stretch. Still, he did score the game-winning goal against Everton earlier this month after replacing Anthony Martial as an early substitute. Under Ten Hag, he has, however, fallen farther down the pecking order.