Ronaldo v Maguire: What are the divisions inside Man Utd dressing room?

James Shearman

• Updated: 16 Feb 2022 12:08 CST
• 3 min read

Manchester United's English contingent are reportedly 'irritated' by Cristiano Ronaldo's attempts to lead the dressing room.

Ronaldo, one of the greatest players ever to wear the red of United, rejoined the club last summer in a bid to return success to Old Trafford.

However, despite the 37-year-old's 15 goals across all competitions this season, more than any other player at the club, the team haven't improved on previous years.

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In fact, the signings of Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane have seen the Red Devils regress to the point that Champions League qualification is very much in doubt.

And there are not only problems on the pitch, but also in the dressing room with reports that the squad is divided into cliques and separate factions.

What are the cliques at Man Utd?

In sport, maintaining a harmonious atmosphere is an underrated component of almost all successful teams.

And, according to Bild, this is something that Man Utd are sorely lacking, as Ronaldo, alongside fellow Portuguese speakers Diogo Dalot, Fred, Alex Telles and Bruno Fernandes, have formed their own clique.

This has left many of the English players, such as captain Harry Maguire and homegrown favourite Marcus Rashford, annoyed by the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

“True, the English players like Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford & Co are irritated that Ronaldo wants to lead the dressing room with his own clique,” BILD journalist Christian Falk said on Twitter.

“There is a risk of a split in the team.”

In public, the likes of Maguire and Rashford have only been complimentary of Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford, but it seems as though the truth is very different behind closed doors.

In fact, it is highly plausible that the existing influential members of the dressing room did not take kindly to Ronaldo's instant promotion to the top of the hierarchy.

That said, United acquired the 37-year-old for one purpose - to win silverware.

So, shouldn't he be given the license to lead a group of players with little experience of lifting trophies in the manner he chooses? After all, those said to be complaining like Maguire and Rashford have never come close to winning league titles or Champions Leagues like Ronaldo has.

That is a question which the United board will have to answer this summer, as it could be the difference in Ronaldo staying at the club or not.

In the immediate term, manager Ralf Rangnick will need to heal the divisions in his squad if he is to lead the team to a top-four finish.