A stat started circling around which said at the current pace Erling Haaland is currently banging in goals. He’d have to score 40 goals every season for the next 14 years to catch up to Ronaldo.
It’s almost like Ronaldo’s consistency has actually desensitized us. At 38 he ended last season with 18 league goals, the third-highest goal scorer in all of England.
to add context a 38-year-old man outscored sadio mane, harry Kane, Riyad mahrez by 7 goals, Raheem sterling by 5 goals. He had 8 goals more than manchester united’s next highest goal scorer who was Bruno Fernandes, and people still label him the problem, amazing.
We have a situation where we have the greatest export football has ever had, he comes back to the premier league to his former team at the end of his career and scores 18 premier league goals and instead of it being a celebration of a magnificent career you have former decorated footballers like Jamie Carragher painting him as the reason for united’s struggle, its insane.
First of all, how do you actually look past what he just did last season, like just this year, and label him as finished because he hasn’t hit the ground running in a season where he had no pre-season, he had to deal with the fact that he delivered the goals he promised, but the club couldn’t deliver their promise of a champions league place. This was a dude that lost a child and still played the season.
For most journalists, I understand. They do it for the traffic Ronaldo undoubtedly brings. But when it’s from someone who has played at the level of Jamie Carragher who endured miserable long underperforming years with Liverpool at the close of his career, it’s sad.
The one thing that has been a constant in this entire saga is Ronaldo’s level headedness and professionalism.
He has weathered the social media and press storm perfectly. never painting the club or his teammates in a negative light and always backing Erik ten haag at every stop.
ten haag would have liked to start his era without tensions brewing with the clubs biggest player. to his credit he has responded calmly, logically and honestly to questions thrown at him.
The best thing for fans of Ronaldo is more is to come.
Portugal are in Group H of the World cup. The other teams are Ghana, Uruguay and south Korea.
This will most likely be the last world cup that Ronaldo plays in.
With his tendency to steal the show. Expect action in his collision against talents like Darwin Nunez and Cavani or even son heun min.
After the world cup ends the premier league resumes on the 26th of December. With Manchester united taking on Nottingham forest at Old Trafford.
By then regardless of the outcome of the world cup Ronaldo will be firing on all cylinders. Every season is pivotal to united at this moment.
If united fail to achieve champions league qualification this season under ten haag, it wouldn’t be a disaster.
It holds no bearing on the future of the club under ten haag. But it does hamper the progress they desperately crave.
