Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the headlines after revealing he has 'no respect' for Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and feels 'betrayed' by the club - but would an exit from Old Trafford now suit both parties?
Ronaldo's time at the club appears to be drawing to a close after revealing he has "no respect" for manager Erik ten Hag and feels "betrayed" by the club in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
The revelations come after a string of confrontations with Ten Hag and walk-outs - most recently refusing to come onto the pitch as a substitute before storming down the tunnel before full-time.
"Yes, I feel betrayed, said Ronaldo. "Some people don't want me here not only this year, but last year too.
"I don't know what's going on. Since Sir Alex Ferguson left I have seen not evolution in the club. The progress was zero.
"I don't have respect for him [Erik ten Hag] because he doesn't show respect for me. If you don't have respect for me, I'm never gonna have respect for you."
Ronaldo’s big flashpoints this season
- July 31: Manchester United 1-1 Rayo Vallecano: Ronaldo leaves Old Trafford mid-way through United’s pre-season friendly along with other members of the squad. Ten Hag described it as “not acceptable”.
- October 2: Manchester City 6-3 Manchester United – Ronaldo was left on the bench despite United being 4-0 down at half-time. Ten Hag said he did not bring the 37-year-old on out of “respect” for Ronaldo’s career.
- October 19: Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham – Ronaldo refuses to come onto the pitch as a substitute and storms down the tunnel before full-time.
- October 22: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United – Ronaldo is suspended by United for disciplinary reasons in the aftermath of the Tottenham match.
- November 10: Manchester United 4-2 Aston Villa – After returning for two Premier League games after his suspension, Ronaldo is declared ill by Ten Hag and is not included in the matchday squad for their Carabao Cup win over Aston Villa.
- November 13: Fulham 1-2 Manchester United – Ronaldo is still missing from the United matchday squad and later that evening, his shock interview criticising the club is released.
- So is it time for club and player to sever ties? It's a resounding 'yes', according to the
Exit best for both parties?
Manchester United have won 75 per cent of their Premier League matches without Ronaldo in the starting XI this season. That rate is slashed three-fold to merely 25 per cent in the four games he has started.
United's points return also soars 120 per cent, from 1.0 to 2.2 per game without the Portugal star in the side, while their return in front of goal nearly quadruples - shipping fewer at the other end, too.
stats... In terms of playing style, United are also polarised with and without Ronaldo.
Without Ronaldo, United record elite-level returns for fast breaks, goals, expected goals, shots on target and pressing in the final third - attempting just 10 crosses per game on average.
With Ronaldo, all of those metrics nosedive to rock-bottom returns - with the team firing twice as many crosses into the box to find their target man.
The table below highlights how United struggle to conjure quality chances in front of goal with Ronaldo in the team, with his four starts ranking in the bottom five returns for xG this term.
