Manchester United appear to be moving in the right direction under the guidance of Erik ten Hag.
Recent performances have been good against Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea but despite the positives, there is a cloud hanging over Old Trafford in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Erik ten Hag on Man Utd signing new striker in January: "I count on Cristiano Ronaldo, so in this moment it is not an item". 🔴 #MUFC Will Ronaldo be there for the rest of the season and do you want him to stay for the rest of the season?"Yes, both", ten Hag said. pic.twitter.com/JBJRUma6JY— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 22, 2022
Erik ten Hag on Man Utd signing new striker in January: "I count on Cristiano Ronaldo, so in this moment it is not an item". 🔴 #MUFC Will Ronaldo be there for the rest of the season and do you want him to stay for the rest of the season?"Yes, both", ten Hag said. pic.twitter.com/JBJRUma6JY
The Portuguese forward refused to come on as a late substitute in the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Ronaldo also walked down the tunnel before the final whistle and did not celebrate on the pitch with his teammates and manager.
It does not matter who you are or what you have done previously in the game, you cannot show disrespect to your teammates and ignore instructions from the manager. It is as simple as that. The same would apply for Lionel Messi, or any other legend of the game.
The fact some former Manchester United players continue to back Ronaldo in the media is strange and can only be based on friendship or the fact they played with him when he was at his best.
Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand are good examples of pundits on British television who continue to back Ronaldo.
If Keane were captain of Manchester United now and saw a player walk down the tunnel before the end of a match when asked to come on as a substitute, his thoughts would probably be different.
The fact former Manchester United players continue to back Ronaldo and say he should be in the team regardless of his actions is undermining the work of the manager.
There are clear improvements to the way Manchester United are playing and that is thanks to Ten Hag. The Dutchman is not taking any nonsense from his players and Ronaldo is a player, nothing more.
If any other player at the club had refused to come onto the pitch and then walked down the tunnel before the end of the match, he would be punished for his actions. So why is it such a big deal that Ronaldo has been treated the same way?
If Ronaldo cannot accept being on the bench that is fine but he needs to move on. It is in the best interests of both Manchester United and the player.
Looking at the celebrations between the players on the pitch when the Red Devils equalised against Chelsea, there is a team spirit building in the group.
However, Ronaldo was the top scorer at the club last season and many fans feel he deserves to be back in the team. Manchester United are struggling to score the goals their play deserves at the moment and Ronaldo could be the man to put that right.
The question mark is over Ronaldo’s ability to fit the style of play rather than his ability to put the ball in the back of the net.
If Manchester United can add a new striker in January, working on an exit for Ronaldo makes sense. It is not long until the World Cup and following the tournament, Ronaldo can leave but until then, it suits both the club and player to get on with the job.