Dion Dublin has criticized Cristiano Ronaldo for walking down the tunnel before full time, in Manchester United’s impressive victory against Tottenham last night.
As reported in the Daily Mail, Dublin was staunch in his thoughts on the incident, which knocked a little bit of gloss off of what was a fantastic night for Erik ten Hag and United.
Ex-United man Dublin said that in spite of his respect for Ronaldo he would have had strong words for him in the dressing room.
“I’d probably want to get him around the throat and say “what are you doing?. It’s out of order. I love Ronaldo, I’ve got a lot of respect for him However, the game’s still going on, your team-mates are still playing.” he said.
Dublin went on to say he felt Ronaldo’s actions showed a lack of respect for his teammates and that he was completely in the wrong.
“It basically says “I don’t really care”. For me in the dressing room it says “I’m off” and “I don’t really care about my team-mate”. I know he’s passionate for playing for Man United, but tonight I think he’s massively in the wrong.” he said
However, Ronaldo’s strop didn’t dampen the mood with the dressing room, which was reportedly bouncing after the win as his swift exit went relatively unnoticed.
The dressing room reaction shows the togetherness Ten Hag has built within the current squad.
Last night’s performance was arguably United’s best under Ten Hag and signified another huge step in the right direction for the team, whose togetherness is evident both on and off the pitch, this season.
When quizzed on the matter Ten Hag said he would “deal with it in the morning” as he, understandably, wanted to focus the attention on the outstanding performance.
Ronaldo is almost certain to leave the club at the end of his contract, which expires next summer but his continued acts of petulance may lead to United forcing a solution to move him on in January.
It is not the first time Ronaldo has showed signs of frustration since failing to secure a move away from the club in the summer and is in danger of tarnishing the incredibly high esteem in which he is held by the fans.
United are undoubtedly a more fluid force without the ageing superstar and it is difficult to see a route back into a regular first team spot for him under the current regime.
