Ronaldo Versus The Stretford End
Should he stay or should he go?
The Ronaldo saga, possibly the most tedious bout of “will-he-won’t-he” transfer talk ever, was the bane of most United fans lives over the summer. Here we were, champions of England, champions of Europe, and all anyone wanted talk about was whether our Portuguese winker was going to join Real Madrid.
Two months into the new season, it is still a big theme amongst United fans, who still rarely sing Ronaldo’s song and are quick to criticise every slip and every piece of neutral body language. In doing so, those same fans are turning Ronaldo’s possible move to Real into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Before I explain in more detail, let’s look back and try to apply a bit of perspective. A lot of conflicts came to the fore during those two months of hell. United V Real Madrid, United v Marca (the Spanish newspaper acting as Real’s unofficial mouthpiece), United v Fifa, Fergie v Calderon, Fergie v Ronaldo…the list goes on and on, and very exciting and dramatic they all were at the time. Or something.
The most tragic, though, was the conflict that developed between Ronaldo and the Manchester United fans. Tragic because within two weeks of that glorious night in Moscow, those fans who had loved Ronaldo like a son, who had publically praised his every move, who had revelled in his meteoric ascent to the top of the game, suddenly hated him.
The adoration turned into bile, and that bile spilled over into every sort of football conversation, from the mainstream media to the pubs to the blogosphere. Looking back on it now, it seems like such a storm in a teacup - having won nearly every honour available with United, Ronaldo was offered fabulous wealth to go and do something he’d always dreamed of doing. The United fans may have hated it, but they should have understood it.
But disloyalty is the ultimate sin for United fans. With notable exceptions like Dennis Law, it is tough to go back and find another example of a leading player leaving United at the peak of his powers and against United’s will. It is essentially unprecedented under Fergie’s management, where whole rafts of players have given United the majority of their career, leaving only when close to retirement. Or, in the case of players like Giggs and Scholes, some have literally only played for one club.
Regardless of the rational motives put before them, many fans refuse to forgive Ronaldo for threatening to leave - it just doesn’t happen to us, they think. Well, it didn’t. Ronaldo stayed, in spite of everything. He gave a very frank, very honest press conference, where he admitted that he had considered leaving, but ultimately realised that it wasn’t the right thing to do. Where he promised to give his best for United, and apologised for contributing so much to the mayhem. He also apologised in private to the United players and staff, who in turn presented him with a Real Madrid kit as a joke - the players and the management have moved on.
Many fans accepted that on face value, but needed to be shown that he was prepared to do his best for the club, rather than just waiting it out a year and agitating for a move again. So, what evidence do we have so far? Ronaldo devoted himself entirely to recovering from his injury, and did so with such success that he returned a full month early to assist United’s misfiring attack. Despite being below his best, he is contributing goals and assists on a regular basis. In his rare interviews, he talks of regaining the fans’ love.
It seems, though, that the fans don’t want to love him anymore. They talk of supporting him out of a sense of duty, as they would any other player who wears the red shirt, but nothing more. They will not sing his song unless he scores - and then only once - and they criticise him for things they previously were prepared to overlook. On Saturday, Ronaldo hardly smiled when he scored - and he was pilloried for it.
When Fergie talks of bringing Ronaldo back, he talks of a chance to leave Old Trafford as a United legend. I think this appeals to Ronaldo - I think it is the sort of goal he understands, and a masterstroke of man management by Fergie. But it will only work if the fans are prepared to be swayed again - no player, no matter how motivated or well managed, will stay for long at a club where the fans dislike him. If they only support him out of a sense of duty, he will only perform at the level required by professionalism - it’s a two way street.
Ironically, the justification for this lack of love is the assumption that Ronaldo will join Real Madrid next summer, come what may. We’ve seen nothing to back that up. But if the Stretford End want to ensure the best player in the world leaves United at the peak of his powers, they’re going the right way about it.
It’s two months on from the start of the season, and I think the appropriate level of displeasure has been conveyed. The fans need to give Ronaldo a second chance, to welcome him back into the fold, albeit on the condition that if he strays once more there will be no redemption. If the cold shouldering continues, at some point the relationship will be sundered for good and United will lose one of the best players ever to grace the Theatre of Dreams.
What do you make of Ronaldo’s continuing alienation? Can you forgive him, or would you prefer him to leave and end the pain? Let’s hear your views.
Penguinissimo has recently set up his own Manchester United blog, Penguin United. He also writes a regular column for the popular United blog Red Rants.
Law was 33 when he re signed for City hardly at the hight of his powers.
Penguin - fully agree with you. fans should grow the fuck up.
fergie,sign benzame( heard he met his dad).Ronaldo should give us a break,who cares he can go ahead and sign for city like law did if he so wishes!
Great article penguin. This is exactly how i have been feeling ever since Ronaldo got back on the pitch,and i hope its an eye opener to many fans. I was one of the people that defended ronaldo and his motives during the saga because i could understand why he wanted to leave. i was never happy about the way he went about things in the summer, which i think is what got most united fans upset and i think its the reason his song is not sung all the time. I noticed (while watching on tv,as i live on another continent so cant be there at the stadium) that the majority of the fans applauded his return and where generaly happy about it. However its the hardcore red mancunians who seem to be the ones that initiate the chants with the rest joining in, and it is those fans who hopefully see that ronaldo made a mistake and forgive him.
On a side note, Penguin, i am an avid reader of your blog, and enjoy your style of writing and like you i enjoy interacting with other united fans. However due to circumstance i use my mobile phone to access the united blogs on the internet that i am interested in, as i am not able to access a computer regularly. The reason i say this is because i read your last post on your blog and i would like to comment but for some reason whenever i try to access the coments section of your blog, my mobile is unable to format the required page to a format my phone can read.
On other sites, like this one, under the article there is a space where i am able to submit my comments. I was hoping, if possible, you could look into the matter.
Apologies to all for my plea to penguin on the incorrect site.
Ahmed Bilal it is a two way street.
Utd fans will be forever divided on this one.
SJC, the Law reference was regarding his spell in Italy not at City.
“But disloyalty is the ultimate sin for United fans.”
It is with all fans. look at the other sagas this summer for evidence.
“Tragic because within two weeks of that glorious night in Moscow, those fans who had loved Ronaldo like a son, who had publically praised his every move, who had revelled in his meteoric ascent to the top of the game, suddenly hated him.”
Football is passionate, very passionate. Try “two weeks ago I adored my wife, then she had an affair.” Some things change relationships fundamentally.
“It’s two months on from the start of the season, and I think the appropriate level of displeasure has been conveyed.”
Ronaldo was absent for 5 weeks of that period.
Basically I have 2 issues.
Firstly, apology or not, he handled it appalingly. He refused to refute the rumours nor had he the balls to state outright that he wanted to leave.
Secondly, it’s not just about the transfer saga. This was simmering for a some time with many fans. The fact is that, and sometimes you have to be able to put all bias aside, Ronaldo is one of the most arrogant, conceited, egocentric, vain pratts the modern game has ever produced. He can’t stand it if it is not all about him. His condescending expressions to referees, opponents and fellow team mates are infuriating.
Whether he scores or provides the assist he wants all the praise and glory. You see it all the time in how he reacts in these situations. As a human being I find him impossible to warm to.
Consider that maybe those who you suggest will drive him away with their behaviour don’t actually care whether he goes or not.
I’ve never sen a player who believes he is bigger than the club more than Ronaldo does.
Not acceptable!
Great article. Actually as a season ticket holder, this is how many United fans feel. Ronaldo’s song is still sung, not as much as last season though. There is a small minority who we all know about but like Ferguson said, not all our suppoters are great. BD Condell is forgetting a certain Van Nistlerooy, who behaved worse than Ronaldo has ever done. Wanted a move three times, told the press he was staying, demanded to leave behind the scenes to Ferguson, Ferguson told him no, then when he was dropped, shouted in Ferguson’s face (a player storming out of carling cup victory celebrations just because he wasn’t chosen to play and not saying bye to the fans at OT on his last game of the season because he wasn’t chosen to play. How is that not acting like you are bigger than the club?), has done nothing but criticise Ferguson, lied to the press and said Ferguson was lying and that he never wanted to leave three times and only recently has admitted to it. Moreover, Ronaldo won everything there was in England both personal and club level. Ruud had not yet he wanted to leave from his second season onwards.
In my 55 years of watching United, I have seen players behave much worse than Ronaldo, infact my opinion of Roy Keane tarnished when he held the club to ransom and demanded 120k a week. I will support Ronaldo while he continues to wear the red shirt
[QUOTE] His condescending expressions to referees, opponents and fellow team mates are infuriating. [/QUOTE]
So are Wayne Rooney’s. Infact, I remember a match against Portsmouth last January when Ronaldo scored a cracker. Roo was having a mare and throughout the whole game, he was shouting at team mates (at one point Evra didn’t pass to him, when we were already winning 2-0 may I add) and he turned around and looked at Evra like he was going to smack him. People around me were going ‘ooh’ and there were a few ‘leave it wayne’ shouts. Whenever a decision goes against him, he is always at the forefront shouting at the ref’s and swearing may I add, even when he is on a yellow and he could be sent off, he doesn’t care, he still does it and I lost count of how many two footed lunges he did at opposition players last season (and before you disagree) I remember cringing at OT last season just watching them and then swearing at the player when they don’t get up from his FOUL.
Now, you overlook that and just prove the article right.
Ronaldo’s song will be sang MORE when he picks up form. It is already being sang everytime he scores a goal and against Blackbun when he was having a mare to encourage him.
The difference Spencer, and I admit to being unaware of some of things you say about RVN, is that in those cases Fergie sorted it out and got rid.
Keane, by the way, was worth every penny.
Sorry Spencer, I don’t disagree about some of Rooney’s discipline and behaviour but it’s irrelavent to the debate. He’s Utd through and through and, while overly competitive and aggressive at times, dispalys none of the antics of the Portugese pretty boy.
Ronaldo soley plays for himself, Rooney plays for the shirt.
I find it hard when people say “fans should grow the fuck up” it wasn’t the fans who were saying things like ” I like wearing white” and the “slave” reference.
The fans stood by Ronaldo for his first three seasons when he was infuriating to say the least, and through the World cup saga.
Being realisic he has had two good seasons out of five, and I know he was maturing on the field maybe he needs to off it.
Great article! I agree with everything you say. However, I understand why the fans haven’t embraced him in light of what happened (or didn’t happen) over the summer.
While Ronaldo pledged to give it his all and he has more than lived up to his end by coming back early and playing heavy minutes, his line during that press conference about how he’d stay for “at least one more year” makes it seem like he’s going to try and move to Real after the season is over. Of course, that’s his right and if he really wants to pursue his dream, and Real really want to fork over all that money, then that’s his right to do so.
In that kind of situation, it’s understandable that the fans wouldn’t be in a rush to re-embrace you. It’s like dating. let’s say that your significant other says to you “I’m going to play the field for a few months, but after that, I’ll come back and stay with you for at least a year.” How would you feel? Wouldn’t you be less than enthused when your significant other came back? I’m surprised the fans didn’t boo him.
Ronaldo should be dropped and play Tevez on the right, normally i would say Rooney on the left but he has been in such good scoring form you cant play him some where else now
BD, I agree about Keane, I just didn’t like the way he went about it. However, the article is proving to be right. You agree about Rooney’s antics but say it doesn’t matter because he is ‘United through and through’ although I disagree, he needs more time to get that status from me. Only Scholes, Gary and Giggs are IMO. If we got relagated, they would stay with the club, there would be a hugh question mark over every other player including Rooney. I remember after we lost to Benfica in 2005, he scowled in his interview and went ‘I came here to win trophies .Why aren’t I winning any.’ Rooney is here for the glory, not because of personal love for the club. ‘once a blue, always a blue’ ring any bells. Mind you, british players tend to only want to settle in Britain and we are the biggest club in Britain so he won’t want to go anywhere else in England or abroad, as he won’t settle.. Rooney’s antics are just as bad as Ronaldo’s, just in a different way and thats a fact. I have yet to see Fergie shouting at Ronaldo over his antics on the pitch (although maybe he does in private) but he is constantly yelling at Rooney.
I have to say though Ronaldo has rceived a decent reception since he came back. Name still being sung, albeit not as much as before. Cheered when subsituted, cheered on his return, not booed etc. Could have been much worse
SJC, the fans stood by Ronaldo through the world cup saga just like they did with Beckham and shall I tell you why we did? because both of them were made scapegoats for England’s incompetence and it was a disgrace in both cases
I was as sick of the Ronaldo saga as everyone else and my main grievance with the player was his lack of coming forward and saying straight out what he wanted to do instead of letting the press make us feel like a bunch of tossers for supporting him all this time.
However, I’m a believer in second chances and after his apology I’ve let sleeping dogs lie. I know that he will eventually join Real Madrid. I don’t know if it’ll be next season or later. What I do know is that the man is playing to the best of his abilities at the moment and we shouldn’t be supporting him just for the sake of it. As far as I’m concerned the fact he is still wearing a red shirt means he deserves as much support as any other player on the field. If he leaves us next season, so be it but we (United fans) will be able to at least say that we supported him fully. I’d rather be the loving father than the abusive controlling one!
It’s natural for players from that part of Europe to want to play in Spain. Even Fergie admitted this. Ronaldo grew up a Real Madrid fan, not a United fan and you can’t criticize him for that and you also can’t criticize him for wanting to eventually play for his favorite side. If we were all footballers we’d all want to play for our boyhood teams someday. Even Scholesy want’s to eventually play for Oldham and Keano wanted to end his career at Celtic because that was his boyhood team!
My message to United fans is to grow up and get behind the the player.
Viva Ronaldo… running down the wing, hear United sing… Viva Ronaldo!
Let it go… he did not “cheat” on us. We need to get him to perform again by supporting him.
Spencer: “However, the article is proving to be right. You agree about Rooney’s antics but say it doesn’t matter because he is ‘United through and through’”
Firstly, articles are not rifgt or wrong, they are an expression of opinion. Secondly, I am agreeing about some of Rooneys behaviour but is irrelevant to the Ronaldo debate. Arrogance, vanity, conceipt are what Ronaldo displays with his antics. Tryiung to compare him to Rooney is nonsense.
As for: “Rooney’s antics are just as bad as Ronaldo’s, just in a different way and thats a fact.”
No, that’s an opinion and just because you hold it does not make it a fact.
Regarding the WOrld Cup, Beckham was a scapegoat. Ronaldo was a sly, cheating disgrace.
Fans should give Ronaldo a second chance. He is from Portugal and hence very understandable that he wants to play for Madrid, just like a British player would dream of Celtic or Liverpool or an Italian will dream of Juve.
There were times last season also when he did not celebrate after scoring goals, especially onces he did not consider too difficult. He has very high standards for himself. Once he scores a scorcher like the free-kick against Pompey or the flick against Villa, we will see him smiling again.
We should be supportive of him and he will become a United Legend
I couldn’t agree more, penguin.
I was not happy about him wanting to move to Real but if it’s his childhood dream then it is his childhood dream. The thign that really mad me a bit mad was the way he went about it, especially the fact that he would not give a clear statement and managed to make it the main topic during the Euros. I have to say though - I’m still not sure if most of it wasn’t just the newspapers being creative in their ‘quotes’.
Anyway, he decided to stay, he apologized and everybody with eyes in their head should be able to see that he’s giving his all. Despite not being fully fit, despite being obviously frustrated about it, he runs up and down that pitch, actually tracks back like a devil. A red devil.
So yes. Please lets support him, make him feel welcome again so that in turn, he’ll give us a lot of season like last years. Or even better. Viva Ronaldo!!
Had no problem with what he wanted in the summer, his reasons seemed pretty decent, shame it took him until about 3 weeks before the window closed to display such honesty instead of behaving like some pathetic pr*cktease.
“I’ll give my heart and soul in a United shirt”, or words to that affect, he said. Yes, he has to work to win over the fans, and yes, there are a few who blindly stand by him because they’re either too young or too naive to think United can exist without him.
What I can’t abide is when he has a poor game, like he did against Celtic, gets applauded by a large section of the crowd, and doesn’t applaud them back. It’s a small gesture, and he constantly refuses to make them.
To the guy who wrote “grow up and get behind him”, well, we will, when he grows up and starts showing us why we should.
"Ronaldo was a sly, cheating disgrace. "
RE: BD Condell. Personally, I disagree. He did nothing wrong that world cup. the media were just looking for someone to blame for englands defeat. I guess the only people who saw it like you do were the ones who put england about united.