RONALDO’S PRESENCE HAS STRINGS ATTACHED
IS CRISTIANO RONALDO here to help Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or to undermine him.
Right now the whole club feels too much like a puppet show, with Sir Alex Ferguson holding far too many of the strings.
Every decision Solskjaer makes about Ronaldo is scrutinised. Every piece of body language Ronaldo produces is analysed.
Meanwhile, whenever Ronaldo brings the club alive, Ferguson is not far away smiling like some warm-hearted Geppetto figure in the directors’ box.
The worry is, the whole thing seems to be a tortured lie.
Ronaldo’s first concern has always been Ronaldo and right now, rather than being the manager to help him see out his playing days as a legend, Solskjaer presence is being portrayed as more of a hurdle.
The super-sub is being subbed himself in the affections of the United fans. So a 1-1 draw with Everton and a Ronaldo stomp down the tunnel undermines Solskjaer’s position.
He could turn to Fergie for advice, but whose side is he on?
And would the box office-minded American owners actually enjoy seeing how the world’s greatest player cuts it as a manager?