Man Utd greats Roy Keane and Gary Neville in agreement over Cristiano Ronaldo amid Portugal ‘fallout’

Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane remain unimpressed with Cristiano Ronaldo amid fresh talk of fallout surrounding the superstar.
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Gary Neville and Roy Keane are in agreement over Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘attitude problem’ amid talk of unrest with Portugal.

It has been an impressive World Cup campaign so far for Portugal, who could be on course to reach the semi-finals if their performances up to now are anything to go by. After a superb 6-1 win over Switzerland last time out, they are a win against Morocco away from the last four, where they will face either France or England.

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Ronaldo had been enjoying a good World Cup campaign himself until he was left on the bench for the Switzerland clash, with Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick in his absence. Since then, there have been claims that Ronaldo has threatened to walk away from the Portugal setup after being left out of the team, venting his anger at national team boss Fernando Santos.

Portugal have denied those claims, but after the fallout with Manchester United that ultimately saw Ronaldo released, the reports do little to enchance his relationship, especially following his scathing recent remarks about Erik ten Hag.

As the situation continues to unfold, United great Keane has spoken about the superstar’s attitude and how this side of his game - and indeed personality - is nothing new.

“Are footballers supposed to be perfect? Cristiano Ronaldo had this attitude 10 years ago, but the following game he would score a hat trick, and he was 27 - everyone would forgive him,” Keane told SkyBet. “People say that he makes teams worse – Juventus haven’t done anything since he left them a couple of years ago.

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“Against Switzerland, the Portugal manager made a correct decision to replace Ronaldo with someone who offered more mobility up front. He [Goncalo Ramos] scores a hat trick, and everyone looks straight to Ronaldo. I always thought there could be a chance that Ronaldo wouldn’t start a World Cup knockout game for Portugal – he’s 37!”

Fellow United legend Neville spoke along the same lines as Keane, following up recent criticism of Ronaldo by adding: “Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest player I’ve ever seen, and despite what he may think, I love him to bits – he is unbelievable.

Gary Neville has spoken out about the Glazers at Man Utd Credit: GettyGary Neville has spoken out about the Glazers at Man Utd Credit: Getty
Gary Neville has spoken out about the Glazers at Man Utd Credit: Getty

“His long-term legacy is set. The problem I have is that his determination and single-mindedness has got him to where he is, but it led to his departure from Manchester United being a little scruffy.

“If he came out and did interviews where he said he was angry, I would’ve sided with him more, but bar his interview with Piers Morgan he hasn’t spoken publicly – or done an interview with the club. His managers – first Erik ten Hag and now Fernando Santos – have come out and said they are not happy with his behaviour. I worry about the influence he will have on other players when he refuses to be part of a team. Ronaldo is better than that.

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“The biggest problem is that his managers at Portugal and Manchester United thought they were better without Ronaldo in the team, and he’s finding that difficult to come to terms with. Portugal’s best performance of the tournament, the 6-1 win over Switzerland, was without him – and they looked much more mobile. Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes really came alive. This reminds me of United – they are better when he is not in the team.”