Manchester United have had an undesirable season, despite the return of Red Devil legend Cristiano Ronaldo. They’ve removed an inadequate manager in the shape of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and brought onboard interim manager Ralf Rangnick in the hopes that he could lift the team back up again. After he took over, they began winning games again – albeit not at their top performance level. At the time of writing, they sit 7th on the Premier League table, just above Brighton and Wolves. As it stands, they’ve got work ahead of them to qualify for the Champions League, which is raising questions about their ability.
First Captaincy Outing
On 3rd January 2022, Ronaldo took on the captaincy at Old Trafford for the first time as he stood in for Harry Maguire. Unfortunately, despite fan excitement, this didn’t go his way as they were beaten 1-0 by the Wolves. In the aftermath, the future is cloudy for the Portuguese star. The question is, does he deserve forgiveness?
Throughout this article, we will discuss the reasons why Ronaldo deserves forgiveness and potentially a second chance at captaincy. If you’re a Red Devil believer, you can catch their next outing against Aston Villa on 10th January 2022. Ahead of the game, you should head over to Onlinecasinos.co.uk, where you will find some of the best sites to place your bets. You don’t have to worry about your safety online because the sites are 100% regulated and licensed.
Part of the Furniture
Ronaldo first became a Red Devil way back in 2003 and quickly began breaking records and making headlines. As a young player striving to make his next steps, Sir Alex Ferguson guided him to greatness. His first experience at Manchester United accounts for a large part of who he is. During his time, he has learned everything there is to know about the club. Ronaldo has been at Manchester United when they’ve been at their lowest. As he fully understands the high expectations, it makes sense to give him the opportunity to captain the team permanently.
Portugal’s Captain
Despite not wearing the captains’ armband for his club full time, he has plenty of experience in being the team captain. For his international team, Portugal, he has worn the armband for the last fourteen years. In the Euro 2016, Ronaldo led Portugal to a win in the final against France. Trophy lifts like this prove that Ronaldo is worthy of captaincy and can help to lead Manchester United out of the rut they’re in.
Maguire Struggles
There is no denying that current United captain Harry Maguire has star quality at the back, especially after leading the team well during the 2020/21 season. He’s excellent at reading the game and has superb command. However, his quality appeared to take a nosedive after returning from injuries while playing under Solskjaer. More recently, he missed Manchester United’s bout against Wolverhampton on the back of an injury. Fortunately, Ronaldo stepped up to the plate, despite a devastating loss.
Pure Winning Mentality
There isn’t anything that holds Ronaldo back. In the face of adversity, the Portuguese hero always pushes forward in the hope of goalscoring. This drive is what has set him apart from his competition and helped define him as one of the greatest players ever. Ronaldo understands how to drive the team from the front, and he has demonstrated his ability to do this with Manchester United.
During games against Villarreal and Atlanta, Manchester United was struggling in the closing minutes of each match. Fortunately, Ronaldo kept on pushing and was able to net last-minute goals in each game. This secured his team a win and draw, respectively. Giving Ronaldo a second chance is exactly what Manchester United needs. He will lead by example and show them how to keep pressing until the end.
Manchester United’s Season 2021/22
Manchester United haven’t had a perfect season. They’ve seen gobsmacking losses against teams that they should quickly destroy. On the other hand, there have been moments of brilliance that resemble the team they once were. The issue at the moment is consistency, which Manchester United is lacking. All eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo when he took the armband on the 3rd of January, and everyone had great expectations. Unfortunately, he didn’t deliver, and the fans aren’t pleased. Although the team didn’t win this one match against Wolverhampton, we need to look back at the entire season and recognise that this isn’t the worst loss of the season.
Further Considerations
There’s no denying that Ronaldo’s performance, along with the rest of Manchester United’s, hasn’t been at its best. The question on everyone’s tongue is “why?”. There is a chance that Ronaldo is feeling uninspired by the team he is playing alongside, having said that he’s alarmed by the dropping standards. Alternatively, there’s a view that the player is living in the glory gone by, with his style of play not aligning with the current squad.
Outside of Ronaldo’s ability to captain the team, you need to look at the manager. They have already parted ways with a poor manager in the hopes that United would benefit from the “Tuschel effect” seen at Chelsea after Lampard’s removal. Unfortunately, this strategy has backfired because Rangnick hasn’t been able to bring his team back to the top. Does this mean that Rangnick’s position needs to be discussed?
Cristiano Ronaldo had the opportunity to lead Manchester United for the first time in 14 years during a game against Wolverhampton on 3rd January 2022. Fans had high expectations and demonstrated excitement for him. Unfortunately, United lost, and it left fans asking whether Ronaldo should be dropped from Rangnick’s team. Although the team lost, it appears unfair to call for drastic measures considering how poorly the Red Devils have played so far under Maguire. Ronaldo may not be the best man for the captaincy position, but he deserves a second chance alongside forgiveness for the Wolves blunder.