Thierry Henry: Ronaldo is poison, but also Man Utd's medicine
Paul Macdonald
- Updated: 3 Jul 2022 00:02 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United fans are coming to terms with the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to walk away from the club for the second time in his career, and Thierry Henry may have understood the situation perfectly.
Ronaldo has reportedly requested to leave United this summer and has asked the club to listen to offers, after just a single season back in the league.
The Portuguese has been their key goalscorer for much of the season and, at times, carried United to victory in games where their level of performance was far below what was expected of the team.
But the problem with Ronaldo is not his goalscoring record, but his performance in many other aspects of the modern game.
There have been significant concerns around Ronaldo's overall contribution to the team over and above what he does in front of goal, and in that respect CR7 may not be in any way a fit for Erik Ten Hag's new side.
And in a clip from American TV coverage of the Champions League from last season, both Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher expressed concerns over Ronaldo that have been founded over time.
“When your poison is your medicine you will struggle…”
Thierry Henry on Ronaldo. Nailed it. pic.twitter.com/VK2rbgQQHd— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) July 2, 2022
Henry said: "When your poison is your medicine, you will struggle.
Because you watch the game at the end and Ronaldo saved them [by scoring], and I agree.
But when they play, they are exposed sometimes because they don't defend as a unit. If you don't do that, you cannot win games.
We're talking about winning the Champions League and winning the title in England.
We're talking about winning. If you want to win, you've all got to run."
Jamie Carragher: Ronaldo a 'passenger'
Carragher and Henry were very much in agreement as to what Ronaldo's clear limitations are on the team, and what those limitations do to damage the team.
He added: "How come a club the size of Manchester United are still relying on a 37-year-old? His goal record is unbelievable, but if he doesn't score then he is a passenger in the game.
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"Look at Manchester United's defensive record this season. If you haven't got 11 men fighting for each other, working for each other like the other top teams do, it's a knock-on effect right through the team."
