"Ruined the club, thank god" - Manchester United fans react to Cristiano Ronaldo's rumoured absence against Manchester City
Some Manchester United fans were pleased to see reports of Cristiano Ronaldo left out of the matchday squad to face Manchester City on Sunday. This, according to the Manchester Evening News, which reported that Ronaldo was not with the squad that assembled ahead of the derby. Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane and Edinson Cavani were the other absentees.
Ronaldo has been in poor form lately. The 37-year-old forward has only managed one goal in his last ten outings for United across competitions. He last scored for the Red Devils in their 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion in February.
United fans shared their views on their star striker being dropped for the Etihad game. Some believe their team is very one dimensional with Ronaldo in the starting XI.
Here are some of the best tweets in this regard:
@nourmcfc @samuelluckhurst @WholeLottaLyes I thought there would be a chance for citeh if Ronaldo was playing but now that's out the window 😭
@collado04 @TimelineCR7 This is why we hate ronaldo fanboys, we beat city last season and finished second and we were becoming an well oiled team with everyone working well, then RONALDO HAPPENED! Ruined the club! Hope him and his fan boys get out asap
@fiqsunn @ranja100 @TimelineCR7 There is a difference between shit talk and stating an opinion that has been formed over watching Man City and united play this season. Ronaldo makes united predictable and Man City destroy predictable teams especially ones without a strong functioning cohesive midfield
@samuelluckhurst @kimomufc No ronaldo thank god.... With all the respect, but he's past it long time ago! Doesn't mean we'll will but the chance is much bigger now
@samuelluckhurst Good. You still banging the Ronaldo drum? Anyone with eyes can tell he's finished. He's about as mobile as Steven Hawking nowadays
@samuelluckhurst I think Ronaldo is finished. His body language last match was telling.
@samuelluckhurst @sleem_anonymous Ronaldo has been misfiring he won’t still make a difference in the derby
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will be keen to try out something different when his team face Manchester City on Sunday. The Red Devils will need to be more defensive and have pace to threaten the Cityzens on the counterattack. Ronaldo's style of play does not suit this game plan.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed for United in the summer of 2021 from Serie A giants Juventus. The 37-year-old forward made an instant impact, scoring key goals in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. However, his impact has waned since the turn of the year.
It is still worth noting that Ronaldo is the club's leading goalscorer this season. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored 15 goals and provided three assists in 30 appearances across competitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo could, however, feature against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford next weekend.
Manchester United have struggled alongside Cristiano Ronaldo
Despite having one of their most fruitful summer transfer windows in 2021, Manchester United have failed to compete for the Premier League title. United signed Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho at the start of the season and fans were expecting the club to challenge City and Liverpool for the league title.
As things stand, United are currently fourth in the league standings, having accumulated 47 points, trailing league leaders City by 19 points. United are in a scrap with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to finish in the top four.
The two London clubs have three and two games in hand respectively over United, trailing by two and five points respectively. If United lose at City, Arsenal will leapfrog them to fourth place with a win.
Cristiano Ronaldo not with the #mufc squad tonight. Neither was Edinson Cavani, unsurprisingly. The usual 21 players (three goalkeepers) have assembled.
A place in next season's Champions League is vital for United to achieve their goals of signing new players and appointing a new manager. It has also been reported that Cristiano Ronaldo could leave Old Trafford in the summer if United fail to secure a top-four finish this season.