It’s been an uneasy couple of weeks at Manchester United, and Cristiano Ronaldo may have inadvertently made it a whole lot worse.
Anthony Martial’s loan could’ve been handled a lot better than it eventually was, and Jesse Lingard’s social media riposte to current manager, Ralf Rangnick, over not being able to leave the club also casts the Red Devils in a poor light.
The issues concerning Mason Greenwood clearly couldn’t have been foreseen, and they too won’t have helped with squad harmony.
The club advised me to have time off due to personal reasons! But my headspace is clear and I’ll always be professional when called upon and give 100 percent
— Jesse Lingard (@JesseLingard) February 3, 2022
Going into the most important part of the season, United may not be broken, but they certainly aren’t in the best shape to be challenging for honours.
MORE: What have you done Djibril?!
A finish of fourth place or higher is imperative for a club that have underperformed for far too long now.
To that end, the manager needs everyone onside and pulling in the same direction.
News that Ronaldo won’t commit his future to the club could be the final nail in the coffin.
The Portuguese has scored some important goals this season, and has been a huge presence in the United dressing room.
However, by the same token, his presence has also stunted the growth of other, younger players, and in many games Ronaldo hasn’t contributed to anything like the degree expected from a player of his standing.
According to ESPN, he is going to wait and see which manager takes charge in the summer before committing himself further.
Given he will only have 12 months left on his contract by then, it may be that the club look to cash in on him in any event.