Manchester United is considered to have made the right decision by releasing Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of 2022. This was revealed by former Red Devils star – Manchester United’s nickname, Gordon Strachan, recently.
CR7 – Cristiano Ronaldo’s nickname – made a sensational return to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021 in his second term. However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner left less than 18 months later after Manchester United terminated his contract.
Manchester United dumped Cristiano Ronaldo after the player criticized prominent figures from the club’s past and present during an explosive interview. In fact, he had scored 27 goals during his second spell at Old Trafford before being sacked.
However, coach Erik ten Hag decided that the all-time great was more of a hindrance than a help. In the end, after being fired, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to join the Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr, at the end of 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo has shown those at Old Trafford that he still has power and sharpness. The proof is that he became the top scorer in 2023 with the 54 goals he recorded for Al Nassr and Portugal last year.
Cristiano Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down at the age of 38. However, former United star, Gordon Strachan, said that releasing Cristiano Ronaldo as a free agent was considered right for Manchester United.
The reason is because Cristiano Ronaldo is considered to have passed his golden age as a professional footballer. Apart from that, CR7 is considered to often grumble and become lazy in helping the defense of the team he strengthens.
“It’s definitely time for him (Cristiano Ronaldo) to go; he grumbled a few times about being there and a few other things. Whatever you think, he is also past his best,” said Gordon Strachan, quoted from Goal International, Friday (12/1/2024).
“It’s detrimental to Manchester United if you try to pack a team around a 38-year-old player. I experienced that when I was at Leeds when I was 35 and Howard Wilkinson made the decision to change the team and had to look to the future,” he added.
“Ronaldo is not someone who is able to close down the opposing team, even at Real Madrid. They will have seven players behind the ball while Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema remain at the front and do not catch up. That happened 10 years ago,” he concluded.
