Despite Ronaldo’s talent, the icon cannot hide weaknesses in Manchester United, and given his age, it is inevitable his minutes will have to be managed.
Only 14 days after Manchester United completed Cristiano Ronaldo’s signing, some of the club fans had already begun to demand Ole Gunnar Solskjaer be fired. Supposedly, calls for the coach to be fired happen every time United loses a match because this is how the game is currently. But, this time, there was a greater force as they were imbued with added urgency.
Many had predicted that Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford would ramp up the pressure on Solskjaer and, after the Portuguese second game, there was proof.
There were a burst of speculations that Antonio Conte, former Chelsea, and Inter Milan coach was being lined up to take over. According to reports, it was said Conte was open to the idea.
United had lost 2-1 to Young Boys in Bern in the first tie of the Champions League. And, among the other things for which Solskjaer was heavily criticized was his decision to substitute Ronaldo who had placed United ahead early in the game.
Some said it was a gross error to take Ronaldo off after 70 minutes when the scores were level which was another sign that Solskjaer was not up to the job. Others said it was one of the worst substitutions in the club’s history.
Ronaldo is substituted hence United lose. This kind of reasoning suggests Solskjaer’s side is still at such a fragile stage of their development that they fall apart when their newest superstar is withdrawn. It suggests that the psyche of the team is still not what it should be if they have genuine aspirations of challenging the Premier League and the Champions League this season.
The superstar’s signing was supposed to have brought the days of triumph within touching distance but without him, even for 20 minutes, the spell was broken. So, when United loses, it will never be Ronaldo’s fault; the icon has to be time-managed considering he will be 37 come next season. The blame for everything other than a resounding victory will be laid at Solskjaer’s door.