Rio Ferdinand has been left red-faced after dubbing Cristiano Ronaldo the ‘king’ of the Champions League, and has since been knocked out of the competition.
Manchester United lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, 2-1 on aggregate, in the Round of 16. Although their chances of lifting the coveted trophy were slim, it was the club's last chance of silverware this season and a solid run in the competition would have given fans something to shout about.
In years gone by, the Champions League has seen Ronaldo to best effect and the 36-year-old has an unbelievable record on the European stage. But his former team-mate Ferdinand may have jinxed it after the first leg.
Speaking to BT Sport after the 1-1 draw in Spain, the ex-England international said: “That's the problem, the inconsistency. Worrying about what Man Utd are going to turn up, what United team is going to come out in the first half compared to the second half, actually.
"I keep saying the same thing, Jeckel and Hyde performances with each half. They've got to find some consistency. This man here [Ronaldo]... In this competition, you cannot bet against him coming up trumps.
"He's the king of this competition in terms of goals and deciding big games. With him in the team in this competition, you're always in with a chance.” However, anyone who did bet against Ronaldo would certainly be in profit.
According to OptaJose, Ronaldo’s match against Atletico is only the third time that he has failed to register a shot on target in the Champions League. He previously failed to test the goalkeeper against Panathinaikos back in 2003 whilst playing for United then against Barcelona in 2011 whilst leading the line for Real Madrid.
There have been serious concerns raised about Ronaldo this season, with some suspecting that he could depart Old Trafford at the end of the season so that he can play at the very top level for what remains of his career. That would leave United striker-less with Edinson Cavani out of contract at the end of the season.
According to Manchester Evening News, Ralf Rangnick is unsure whether Ronaldo is capable of spearheading United’s attack next season under a new manager. The German will be moving into a consultancy role in the summer and is keen to sign a striker, regardless of Ronaldo’s future.
After United’s defeat on Tuesday night, Ferdinand was quick to point out that a new manager will need time to steady the ship at United and be allowed time to slowly but surely progress the club. He said: “Unless you get the right pieces, Klopp took four or five years at Liverpool to win the Premier League, but you could see they were on the right trajectory.
“Man United have to get to that point. Once you get the right manager and get the right person in place, then it's a minimum of two or three years before you start challenging for trophies. By the way, Liverpool and City have set a high bar now.
The consistency at which they play. It shows that no matter what talent you bring together, you need a manager that can harness that and put it all together.”
