“Scoring goals and looking good isn’t what the game is all about” – Garth Crooks slams ‘irritating’ Cristiano Ronaldo after Manchester United interview 

Football pundit Garth Crooks has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo for his recent Manchester United interview. Crooks advised the Portuguese superstar to drop his “prima donna” act. Crooks believes Ronaldo needs to focus on the collective aspect of the game and lead from the front when the going gets tough.

In a recent interview, Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo criticized the mentalities of some of his teammates. The Portugal skipper urged them to improve, claiming everyone needed to buckle up if the team were to win something big in the 2021-22 season.

Crooks, however, has been left offended by Ronaldo’s recent interview and has asked him to get his act together before publicly criticizing his teammates. The former Premier League star is irritated with Ronaldo’s behavior and thinks he isn’t doing his team any favors by throwing tantrums on the pitch.

Discussing Ronaldo’s interview, Crooks wrote for BBC Sport:

“Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick wants his players to hold each other to account after Cristiano Ronaldo questioned their mentality. Ronaldo has expressed concern about the attitude of some his team-mates and suggested it needs to be better for United to be successful this term.”

He added:

“I couldn’t agree more – and it should start with him. Ever since he returned to Old Trafford the Portuguese international has behaved like a prima donna. He may be the star of the show but the constant waving of his hands in the air when events don’t go his way – a sign that the crowd’s moans and groans regarding United’s failures are all down to his team-mates and nothing to do with him – is irritating.”

Finally, he asked Ronaldo to look beyond “looking good” and focus on helping Manchester United in difficult stretches.

He added:

“I expect better from a player of his calibre. Scoring goals and looking good isn’t what the game is all about. The game is nothing if it’s not about the team. Ronaldo always looks immaculate on the pitch but sometimes, especially when things are going badly, he has to get among the muck and nettles in order to pull his team through difficult periods.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United are currently seventh in the Premier League. They return to Premier League action with a trip to Brentford on Wednesday night.

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Cristiano Ronaldo-less Manchester United held to a 2-2 draw at Aston Villa

With Cristiano Ronaldo failing to feature due to a hip injury, Manchester United were held to a 2-2 draw by Aston Villa at Villa Park. Although the Red Devils squandered a 2-0 lead against Villa, their overall gameplay looked a lot more coherent. Bruno Fernandes was at his very best for the visitors, scoring two important goals on either side of half-time.

Jacob Ramsey and debutant Philippe Coutinho spoiled United’s party with two late goals, but there were surely some positive takeaways from the 2-2 stalemate. Whether Ralf Rangnick will heed the positives and have the courage to bench Ronaldo against Brentford is a million-dollar question at the moment.