‘Ronaldo doesn’t have time to waste’ – Nani defends Man Utd star
Robin Bairner
- 18 Aug 2022 01:32 CDT
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction to Manchester United’s struggles is “normal”, according to former Old Trafford team-mate Nani.
Ronaldo has spent the summer pushing to leave Man Utd, having grown frustrated about the team’s lack of competitiveness at the top level.
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After missing much of pre-season, he started against Brentford last weekend but was part of a side that suffered a stunning 4-0 loss in the Premier League. Following that game, he snubbed manager Erik ten Hag as he marched off the pitch in a frustrated manner, fuelling speculation that he wishes to leave.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has yet to pass comment on his future but did indicate in a recent Instagram post that he feels the media coverage of his transfer saga has been unfair.
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Nani on Ronaldo
Former Manchester United and Portugal team-mate Nani, though, understands the attacker’s point of view.
“We haven't played together for a long time. He's not a kid anymore. Times change and reactions and attitudes can also change. But we see that he stays the same. He doesn't like to lose, he reacts when the team is not doing well, it's just different times. He's back at Manchester United, but he's been around the world a bit, he's done well in different teams,” Nani told Five.
“He's in a team where the coaches are trying to build a strong squad, but it's not easy, it takes time. But Cristiano doesn't have time to waste, he can't wait for them to build a team or wait for the next season to be better. He wants to stay on top, score goals and be the figure. That's why reactions are normal, we all have the wrong reactions sometimes.”
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is struggling to find a route out of Manchester United. His high wages combined with the tactical changes he forces upon a team mean that agent Jorge Mendes’ approaches have been snubbed by team after team, throwing more doubts over his already unclear future.
