Manchester United told Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘part of the problem’ after new season low

[ad_1]

Manchester United have been told Cristiano Ronaldo is “part of the problem” at Old Trafford currently, with the Reds not improving since his arrival.

United’s season hit another low on Friday as they were dumped out of the FA Cup following their penalty shootout defeat to Middlesbrough.

It means their hopes of gaining any silverware this season look to be over, with just the Champions League offering a faint glimmer of hope as they battle for fourth in the Premier League.

United were not helped by a misfiring Ronaldo in the cup, with the usually reliable superstar fluffing his lines from the spot as he scuffed his first-half penalty wide.

We want your views, Reds. You can become even more involved with our Man United coverage by signing up. This will unlock a whole host of things – including joining the comments and taking part in our special Q&As, where you can speak directly to our reporters about what’s happening at Old Trafford this week and beyond.

Click here to get started.

The 37-year-old also spurned some decent chances to put the tie beyond doubt before the hosts crashed out of the competition, losing 8-7 in the shootout.

And former West Ham striker Carlton Cole has told talkSPORT he believes Ronaldo has been part of the issue for United this campaign as they’ve failed to build on their second-place finish last season.

“Who is in that changing room and actually leading by example?” Cole said. “Yes, Ronaldo does it, but he came out the other day saying most of these young boys don’t listen. It’s a different era now and they respond to other things.

“What motivates these players? Is it money? Winning trophies? I can’t see it.

“It’s a weird place to be for a team like Man United to have no drive and no passion. It’s just a weird place to see them. I can’t see where they’re going to get this leader from.

Cristiano Ronaldo slumps over during the FA Cup defeat to Middlesbrough. (Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

“I got slated for saying this about Cristiano Ronaldo before, that he’s come in and taken all the attention away from what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was doing.

“I’m not saying that he’s not going to score you goals, he scores a bag of goals, but was he the right thing for Man United? Was he the right thing for that team?

“The evidence shows, and not even just from tonight, but going on everything that has happened since he came in, Man United still have not gone to the next level.”

Cole added: “I’m not saying it’s just Ronaldo’s fault – a lot of things have happened – but he is part of the problem too.

“Obviously you’re going to look for Ronaldo but I don’t know whether he can lead by example anymore. He hasn’t got that tenacity.

“Where he used to be buzzing around the pitch, now he’s waiting, he’s goal-hanging right now because he’s trying to save his energy and score goals, that’s what his job is and that’s what we expect from him.

“The younger Ronaldo would have obviously been bombing around the pitch and charging about, but now he’s got to depend on his teammates.

“He’s a leader in his own way, but he can only say so much to the players. They need someone who is going to show action as well. I was looking on that pitch for a leader, and I didn’t see one.”

Sign up to our United newsletter so you never miss an update from Old Trafford this season.

Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles .

[ad_2]