"He's going to harm his reputation" - Liverpool legend slams 'big baby' Cristiano Ronaldo for storming down tunnel before final whistle
Liverpool great Steve Nicol has hit out at Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for storming down the tunnel before full-time during his team's recent 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.
The Red Devils registered a statement victory against the Antonio Conte-coached outfit at Old Trafford on Wednesday (October 19). After a one-sided first half, the Red Devils deservedly opened the scoring two minutes after the break through Fred. Bruno Fernandes doubled the lead in the 69th minute to hand the hosts a vital win.
Ronaldo, 37, was an unused substitute as Erik ten Hag’s side produced their most complete performance of the season. However, the Portuguese striker stole the headlines after choosing to head down to the dressing room before the full-time whistle of the contest.
Cristiano Ronaldo went down the tunnel at Old Trafford before the final whistle. https://t.co/bnuFytZkxQ
Speaking to ESPN, Nicol shared his thoughts on Ronaldo's actions at the end of Manchester United's latest Premier League outing. He said:
"He has to be very careful because for 15 years, he's been number one and everybody has patted him on the back. But you know what? When things are going well for you, it's dead easy to always do the right thing."
Nicol, who helped Liverpool lift 10 trophies during his 13-year stint at Anfield, claimed that the Portuguese should change his attitude. He added:
"The mark of anybody is when things are not going your way, how do you react? We just saw how he's reacted and he better be very careful. He better get rid of acting like a big baby because he's going to harm his reputation if he continues to do that."
Ronaldo, who failed to secure a permanent transfer earlier this summer, has started just two Premier League matches this season. So far, he has scored two goals and contributed one assist in 12 appearances across all competitions for Manchester United this campaign.
🗣️ "He clearly thinks he is bigger than the football club."
The Soccer Special panel react to Cristiano Ronaldo walking down the tunnel before full time 👀 https://t.co/XiEuKp4nws
Alan Shearer offers opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo's latest headline-worthy moment
Speaking to BT Sport (via Metro), former Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer shared his two cents on Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Manchester United's bench on Wednesday. He said:
"It's a difficult situation for him, we are talking about the best player in the world, maybe the best player we have ever seen. So, he is under pressure from that point of view."
Shearer asserted that the Portuguese's outburst is set to land Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag in trouble during the press conference. He added:
"But it does make things difficult for the manager because he is going to be asked about that in the press conference. Whereas in reality, he should be talking about every one of his players on the pitch tonight because they have all been impressive."
Manchester United are currently fifth in the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 19 points from 10 games. The club are next set to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (October 22).