Ronaldo Return – the saga continues! 24 Nov 2015 21:06

By Frank Mead, Editor

Earlier in the summer, we did a piece on on whether we should re-sign Ronaldo, along  with all the Pros & Cons we could think of if the move were to actually happen. But over the last fortnight, the press have been speculating that a move back to Old Trafford is inevitable. Ultimate United remain unconvinced.

Prodigal Son?

Since the day Manchester United sold Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009, the whole world has been making predictions about his next destination. Old Trafford gets mentioned more than most, but he has also been linked with Chelsea, City, Arsenal, PSG and even the MLS. Even if he signed a new long term contract at Real Madrid, this speculation will continue until he either leaves the Bernabéu or retires from playing altogether.

In the last few weeks, however, the speculation has moved up a couple of notches. It’s been suggested that Ronaldo’s departure from Real Madrid is not a matter of if, but when.

Tactical Differences

The main reason quoted for Ronaldo being unsettled is that he doesn’t get on with, or have any confidence in, new manager Rafael Benítez. He made no secret of the fact that he was unhappy at the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti. And who can blame him? This is a manager who has won 3 Champions League titles and got Real playing some fantastic attacking football. Typically, the Madrid hierarchy preferred a manager who has one lucky win in the competition to his name (which was ten years ago) and who failed to get a good Napoli side into it. They pulled a similar trick on Vicente del Bosque in 2003, a year after he had made them Champions of Europe, and replaced him with United’s assistant manager, Carlos Queiroz.

So with this in mind, plus the fact that Barcelona gave them a royal spanking a few days ago, does anyone honestly believe that Benítez will be manager at the end of the season? As 12 different bosses in the last 12 years proves, if it is the manager that’s the issue, then Madrid are a dab hand at solving that problem.

Lack of Respect

This is an issue I’ve touched upon in previous blogs and articles. Ronaldo is now Real Madrid’s top goalscorer of all time, having surpassed Raul’s record earlier this season, and it’s doubtful anyone will top his record anytime soon. Yet he isn’t loved in any way, shape or form as much as the Bernabéu legend, whose tally he has reached and breached in just over six years.

At United, Ronaldo is still loved, and his name is still sung on matchdays, & judging by the comments he has made recently, it seems that affection is very much mutual. Every success that Real Madrid have had over the last half decade is pretty much down to Ronaldo, and yet the fans still get on his back.

Ok, so they have a history of some of the greatest players ever to play the game turning out for them – Zidane, Puskas, Di Stefano, Figo – but Ronaldo is as good as any of them. Madrid’s fans are nothing more than spoilt little babies, and it made me smile to see Barcelona wipe the floor with them on Saturday. Sorry, Ron!

If the reason Ronaldo wants to leave is because of a lack of appreciation, then I can definitely see him leaving.

No Stability

At Old Trafford, Ronaldo only played for one manager, and knew what was expected of him all the time, knew how he was expected to play. But Madrid change their manager as often as they change their home kit, and one of the issues that apparently makes the Portuguese legend unhappy is the style of play. Benítez is known for playing defensive football at the best of times, and nothing so far suggests he will change this approach at any time in the near future. I wouldn’t be surprised if he asked Ronaldo to play centre back.

So what happens next? It’s hard to see him being in the job too much longer after the debacle of the latest El Classico, so a new coach will come in, and the style will more than likely change again. OK, this time it may be more to Ronaldo’s liking, but it won’t be lost on him that Madrid have only been champions once in the six years he has been there, during which he has played under four different managers. They’ll always be contenders, but without the stability of a regular manager, which is generally what Barcelona have (look what they have won in the last ten years), they won’t be dominating Spanish football for a while. Under Ancelotti, that might have changed.

Conclusion

It wouldn’t be the most surprising thing in the world if United did bring Ronaldo back within the next year. He may be thirty years old now but he still has a lot to offer, and United are one of the few clubs in world football that could afford him. Whatever the transfer fee, the shirt sales and merchandising will cover it. Given how much we scraped off the wage bill this past summer, his salary wouldn’t make much of a dent either.

But that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. I fully expect Benítez to be gone before the season reaches its conclusion, and Ronaldo might be all happy again. Or he may still leave, but decide that Paris Saint Germain, should be his next destination.

There is also the possibility that he is just after a new contract. He wouldn’t be the first player to play games in order to secure a new deal (he could take tips from a certain team mate on matters such as this). After all, the next big contract he signs will probably be his last at the very top level. Who could blame him?

We’ve been teased with the prospect of a Ronaldo return for over six years now. I’ll only believe it when Memphis hands over the number 7 shirt to him.