You wouldn’t want to be a trainee solider in Cristiano Ronaldo’s boot camp. Manchester United’s fabled number seven demands pristine standards from himself and everyone around him.
He insists on perfection, from the minuscule details through to the big picture.
Those who appear to be slowing him down or failing to replicate his ethics will be cast aside, judged to be of lesser quality.
United’s squad have been feeling the wrath of their commanding officer lately as they appear incapable of following his orders.
“I don’t accept our mentality (should) be less than being in the top three in the Premier League,” Ronaldo told Sky Sports recently in a brutally honest interview about the club’s current malaise
“We are capable of changing things now. I know the way but I’m not going to mention it here because I don’t think it’s ethical on my part to say that.
“What I can say is we can do better – all of us. Manchester (United) belongs to important things, so we have to change that.
“I don’t want to be here to be in sixth place or seventh place or fifth place. I’m here to try to win, to compete.”
Cristiano can’t escape criticism
Of course, Ronaldo is right to expect more from the Red Devils. He is used to fighting for and winning trophies throughout his career. Scraping 1-0 wins and hoping to creep into the top six aren’t on his CV.
However, the 36-year-old can’t expect to shunt the blame without taking some responsibility himself.
Granted, 14 goals in all competitions in his second spell at Old Trafford is a terrific return. Yet that tally could be even higher had he converted a higher percentage of opportunities that have fallen his way.
Where could Ronaldo improve?
According to the Premier League website, the Portugal captain has missed eight big chances this season, the joint third highest of any player.
WhoScored.com also has Ronaldo down for hitting 21 shots off target. Only Diogo Jota and Bryan Mbeumo (both 22 shots) have managed more.
There are other statistics that point towards a required improvement from the iconic forward.
WhoScored.com again takes the reins with this one, stating the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has lost 42 of his 61 aerial duels, the most of any United player.
He has also had the joint highest number of unsuccessful touches (25) and been dispossessed 14 times. As the man meant to be leading Ralf Rangnick’s team to glory, those figures leave a lot to be desired.
Someone clearly needs to give Ronaldo the Ronaldo treatment – but who’s brave enough to dish it out?
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