If you adore Cristiano Ronaldo, and there are plenty of reasons for it, you’ll say it’s despicable what Erik ten Hag did to him on Wednesday night. Manchester United gaffer told the Portuguese to warm up in the second half against Tottenham, only to neglect him afterwards, which resulted in Cristiano’s dismay.Fair point there, we say. You just don’t do that to a player of his ilk.Flawless United slam Spurs in the midweek derby as indignant Cristiano walks off the pitchHowever, we ought to look at the other side of the story, too, because as much as he deserves the utmost respect from the club, one of the best footballers ever has some responsibilities. And one of the essential ones is to respect his manager’s decision, and his teammates, of course. So when they are winning a hugely important derby against Tottenham and doing it marvellously, by the way, only a poisonous vanity can usher you to put yourself under the spotlight before them. Cristiano Ronaldo not only left touchline on 89mins, he departed Old Trafford before final whistle.Absence didn’t really register in dressing room, which was vibrant with celebrations.#MUFChttps://t.co/bhUiYliLYy— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) October 20, 2022 Sure, it’s acceptable that Cristiano was nervous about being benched, mad, and even enraged about it. Because the guy wants to play, and that’s the only fuel he needs to keep going at age 37. But, at the same time, there are moments and places for demonstrating your discontent without hurting your team. And walking down the tunnel, with all cameras of the world on you a few moments before the stoppage time, is definitely not the one.”I will deal with that tomorrow, not today. We are now celebrating this victory,” said Ten Hag in his post-match interview on Wednesday night. “I have seen him, but I haven’t spoken with him.”##EDITORS_CHOICE##It will be a very tumultuous Thursday for the Red Devils, with a possible CR7 exit being one of the options to resolve the issue. This eventual ‘divorce’ will cause a seismic reaction all over the world, let alone at the Theatre of Dreams, but one thing’s for sure – Ronaldo’s representative, super-agent Jorge Mendes, will have a hell of a job finding his client a new club. It’s no secret the Portuguese offered his compatriot to various clubs in recent months, but bearing in mind all the cons of the possible deal (his age, attitude, and enormous financial demands), no wonder everyone rejected him.Status Quo in Manchester: Ronaldo is staying, but he doesn’t want toAn extra-paid veteran with a super-ego that sometimes turns into a cruel and disobedient maverick is not something the top European clubs are looking for. And it would be beyond crazy to think Cristiano would settle with some mid-table club miles away from any elite competition. Even the fact he’s forced to watch Champions League football on the telly after 20 years caused an emotional stir for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.Maybe it’s time for him to go down the tunnel for good or dramatically change his attitude if he wants his fair share of glory at Man Utd.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 12TuesdayBrighton – Nottingham Forest 0-0Crystal Palace – Wolverhampton 2-1 (0-1)/Eze 47, Zaha 71 – Traore 30/WednesdayBournemouth – Southampton 0-1 (0-1)/Adams 9/Brentford – Chelsea 0-0Liverpool – West Ham 1-0 (1-0)/Nunez 22/Newcastle – Everton 1-0 (1-0)/Almiron 31/Man Utd – Tottenham 2-0 (0-0)/Fred 47, Bruno Fernandes 69/Thursday21:30: (2.95) Fulham (3.25) Aston Villa (2.65)22:15: (2.45) Leicester (3.40) Leeds (3.15)Arsenal – Manchester City POSTPONED
