It is fair to say that the 2022-23 campaign has not played out as hoped for Cristiano Ronaldo. Best-laid plans on the Portuguese forward’s part have been ripped up, sent through a shredder and moved on to a recycling plant.
Having spent much of the summer pushing for a move away from Manchester United, to still be at Old Trafford is fast becoming a source of serious frustration for all concerned. Reluctance on the part of the Red Devils to part with an all-time great may have been understandable, but they have barely used him since.
Talismanic
Keep working and focused 🙏🏽💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/W03sh6ggYE
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) August 25, 2022
The clock is ticking on Ronaldo’s career whether he likes it or not and he is not going to get many more opportunities to compete for the most prestigious of honors. United do not appear to be in that mix domestically, while Portugal are struggling to earn favor in FIFA World Cup betting odds despite having an abundance of riches at their disposal. A price of +1200 suggests that those delivering the best bonuses and insider information ahead of FIFA’s flagship event, with a Golden Boot and most valuable player prize also up for grabs, will be nailing colors to masts that lie outside of Fernando Santos’ control.
They may have been more fancied had the most talismanic presence in their ranks not found himself stuck on the bench at club level. Records may have tumbled around an iconic performer over the course of a quite stunning career, but even he cannot turn form on and off at the flick of a switch.
It has therefore come as little surprise to see him looking rusty when taking to the field for his country of late. A man who was once considered untouchable in his homeland is suddenly seeing uncomfortable questions asked of his presence.
He has continued to don a captain’s armband for the Portuguese national team, but he needs to deliver in order for such a standing to be maintained. The odd cameo off the bench for United is not going to get him firing on all cylinders when heading to the Middle East in November.
Could the unthinkable happen as Fernando Santos begins to adopt a similar mindset to Erik ten Hag? If one manager can no longer justify finding a place for a five-time Ballon d’Or winner in his starting XI, how long will it be before another follows suit?
Hero
Erik ten Hag benches Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire 😳 pic.twitter.com/5Ag7OgpDPK
— GOAL (@goal) August 22, 2022
Portugal do not appear to be at that point yet, with a national hero still boasting plenty of credit in the bank. That will not last forever, but it does not need to as the end of an international road will be reached at some point in the near future.
To see Ronaldo stumbling towards and eventually lurching over that line would represent a sad end to what has been the most remarkable of fairytales. There was, however, a time not all that long ago when seeing him miss out on guaranteed starts at club level was unthinkable.
We have reached that stage and, with his apparent superpowers seemingly on the wane, it could be that more bench duty in the shadows beckons for a man who has grown accustomed to strutting his stuff under the brightest of spotlights and one who intended to take center stage again at the World Cup finals in Qatar.
