Cristiano Ronaldo: Pundits turn on Man Utd as forward is named ‘a spoilt brat’

The football world has turned on Cristiano Ronaldo in the latest controversial chapter of his topsy-turvy spell at Manchester United – after he stormed down the tunnel yet again before his side had beaten Tottenham 2-0 on Wednesday night. 

Erik ten Hag’s men completed an impressive victory over Spurs at Old Trafford thanks to goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes – but the three points were quickly overshadowed by more theatrics from the Portuguese outcast as he made for the dressing room prior to the final whistle.

United boss Erik ten Hag insisted he would ‘deal with’ the player on Thursday and the Dutch coach will be understandably unhappy that the story has detracted attention away from an impressive victory. 

The football world has turned on Cristiano Ronaldo after he stormed down the tunnel following United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham 

Gabby Agbonlahor called him a 'spoilt brat'

Micah Richards, meanwhile, called him 'unprofessional'

Gabby Agbonlahor (L) called him a ‘spoilt brat’ and Micah Richards called him ‘unprofessional’

Ronaldo has now received a round of stern criticism from the pundits for his behaviour as speculation around his future at the club continues to swirl – with talkSport’s Gabriel Agbonlahor leading the fury at the forward.

The former Aston Villa man labelled him ‘a spoiled brat’ after leaving the dugout yet again during his time at United – adding that the group play better without him and he should be left out of their next matchday squad to face Chelsea.

‘Ronaldo is a spoilt brat, let’s be honest,’ he said.

‘He’s 37, he’s had the best career and is probably one of the best players to play the game. Your team, who you’re meant to love, are playing the best football that they’ve played in years and absolutely battered Spurs.

‘They play better without him. Ronaldo came on against Everton and scored a goal and did well, then he started against Newcastle and was poor, got taken off and had a huff.

Ronaldo has been frozen out of the team this season after failing to secure an exit

Ronaldo has been frozen out of the team this season after failing to secure an exit 

Ronaldo 'thinks he's bigger than the club'

That was the crushing remark from Danny Mills on Sky Sports

Ronaldo ‘thinks he’s bigger than the club’, according to Danny Mills (R) on Sky Sports 

‘I rate Ten Hag for not being pressured to play Ronaldo. To walk down the tunnel like that, for me, is a disgrace.

‘You can’t do that. It’s so disrespectful to your teammates and if I’m the players in the changing room with Ronaldo after the game and find out about it, I want my manager to make a statement. I’d leave Ronaldo out of the Chelsea game.’ 

‘It’s disrespectful. Yes, he’s one of the best and scored 700 goals but you can’t disrespect your teammates. He made it about him.’

Meanwhile, a fuming Danny Mills told Sky Sports that Ronaldo has an ego issue and ‘thinks he’s bigger than the club’. 

‘It’s an absolute disgrace. That’s disrespectful to the team, to the manager, to the fans. They’re winning 2-0, what complaint can he have? If they were losing 2-0, it still wouldn’t be right, but I would sort of understand it. 

Dion Dublin said he probably would get Ronaldo 'around the throat' if he was United manager

Dion Dublin said he probably would get Ronaldo ‘around the throat’ if he was United manager

‘He clearly thinks he’s bigger than the football club. That’s absolutely disgraceful.’

Sportsmail columnist Micah Richards also turned on Ronaldo while appearing on BBC Breakfast, saying he antics were ‘unprofessional’.

‘It is so poor,’ he said. ‘For someone we have looked up to for so long, one of the greats of the game. 

‘Yesterday was so frustrating just because Ronaldo made it about him. The team got a great win over Spurs. Ten Hag had problems with him in pre-season as well, not wanting to sell him. 

‘The team has done really well without him starting, so for him to do that, it was just unprofessional.’

Former Coventry and Aston Villa star Dion Dublin – who played for United for two years – was much harsher with his criticism of the Portuguese international.

Ronaldo has courted controversy several times since returning to the club last summer

Ronaldo has courted controversy several times since returning to the club last summer

‘I’d probably want to get him around the throat and say ‘what are you doing?” he said while working as a pundit for the game.

‘It’s out of order. I love Ronaldo, I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I think he should be getting more minutes and think he can make a difference more than most. However, the game’s still going on, your team-mates are still playing. 

‘It basically says ‘I don’t really care’. For me in the dressing room it says ‘I’m off’ and ‘I don’t really care about my team-mate’. I know he does and I know he’s passionate for playing for Man United, but tonight I think he’s massively in the wrong.’

His fellow pundit Tim Sherwood said the episode was ‘quite shocking’ and that he was left feeling ‘angry’ about what he had just seen.

‘I think it’s quite shocking,’ he said. ‘(Erik) Ten Hag made all his changes and Ronaldo has just gone down the tunnel.

‘It’s a public show of dissent against the manager. It’s not a good look, in my opinion. I’m quite angry about it. I love Ronaldo but I think there are ways you go about it.

‘He (Ten Hag) talked about in the Manchester derby about not putting him on the pitch because he wanted to show him respect, and I feel Ronaldo’s shown him a lack of disrespect by walking down the tunnel.’

Gary Lineker was also strong on Ronaldo - calling his behaviour 'unacceptable'

Gary Lineker was also strong on Ronaldo – calling his behaviour ‘unacceptable’

And Match of the Day present Gary Lineker – never usually far away from the biggest topics in football – also waded into the debate. 

‘We all know what a great player he has been but walking off the pitch as a substitute two minutes before the game has finished…I’m sorry, that is unacceptable. That is poor,’ Lineker said.

While Ten Hag opted not to linger too long on the situation – veteran manager Neil Warnock went further and said he would have ignored him after the incident, and then ‘ruined his day off’. 

‘If it wasn’t Ronaldo, I’d be tempted to say “He’s got to go in January, can I get rid of him now?” he told talkSport. ‘I think it actually helped Ten Hag because now he has sympathy and he can’t go wrong now. 

‘It was good for the manager – but I wouldn’t have talked to him. I’d have praised the lads and then flippantly said to Ronaldo, I’ll see you in the morning at 10am, so it ruins his day off. 

In yet another rant from a pundit on talkSport, Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy were next to batter Ronaldo on the airwaves.

Neil Warnock said he would have 'ruined' Ronaldo's day off if he had stormed down the tunnel while he was in charge

Neil Warnock said he would have ‘ruined’ Ronaldo’s day off if he had stormed down the tunnel while he was in charge

This is not the first time Ronaldo has stormed off the pitch since his return to Old Trafford

This is not the first time Ronaldo has stormed off the pitch since his return to Old Trafford 

Last season he came under huge scrutiny for slapping a fan's phone out of their hands

Ronaldo apologised to the boy in question but the family refused to accept

Last season he came under huge scrutiny for slapping a fan’s phone out of their hands 

O’Hara called Ronaldo ‘a disgrace’, adding: ‘Ronaldo walks down the tunnel in the 89th minute – it’s a disgrace!

‘The best performance for Man United of the season so far, and Ronaldo walks off down the tunnel.

‘And the tunnel at Old Trafford is not right by the dugout, you’ve got to walk the length of the pitch, almost. How disrespectful is that to your teammates?’

Cundy added: ‘It’s all for show. That’s why I wouldn’t take Ronaldo [at Chelsea]. The baggage.

‘He is a brilliant footballer and he will score goals but that’s the reason. 

‘[Erik] Ten Hag has still got a problem with him, and January can’t come quick enough for Ten Hag to move him on. He wants to move on, there’s petulance.

‘And what does that do to other players? No doubt he’s a brilliant influence in the dressing room, but the petulance shown like that in public that’s not on, that’s not fair.’

‘[Erik] Ten Hag has still got a problem with him, and January can’t come quick enough for Ten Hag to move him on. He wants to move on, there’s petulance.

‘And what does that do to other players? No doubt he’s a brilliant influence in the dressing room, but the petulance shown like that in public that’s not on, that’s not fair.’

Even before Ronaldo had walked out of Old Trafford, Alan Shearer aimed another dig at the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, claiming team-mate Fernandes looks happier on the pitch when his Portuguese compatriot isn’t playing.

‘Would I be stirring if I said Bruno looks happier in this team without Ronaldo?’, Shearer said.

‘I just look at his performance tonight and his energy and look at his leadership and the qualities he has offered both defensively and offensively and he has done so much for them in this performance tonight. He deserved that goal.’

Ronaldo stormed down the tunnel on a handful occasions last season after United had lost points – including against Everton, Newcastle and Aston Villa – and he also came under fire for smashing a fan’s phone out of their hands. 

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