Former England defender Glen Johnson has delivered some strong words to Cristiano Ronaldo in the light of the forward's situation at Manchester United.
Ronaldo is set to learn his fate this week, with showdown talks planned between the 37-year-old and United manager Erik ten Hag. The former Juventus and Real Madrid star has already been fined by the club after refusing to come on as a substitute in the victory over Tottenham, and was not considered for selection by Ten Hag as the Manchester club drew at Chelsea on Saturday.
The veteran issued a statement after events towards the end of the Spurs game, when he was seen storming down the tunnel before full-time. But now Johnson has urged Ronaldo to show more respect to the United boss.
"Respect is mutual," former Liverpool and Chelsea defender Johnson told Midnite. "No player can do what they want, the team is more important than one player, I don't care who it is.
"Both Ten Hag and Ronaldo need to show respect to each other, of course, Ronaldo deserves respect for what he's done. But then he needs to respect his manager.
"If the team is winning, players who are not playing need to shut up, there's a time and a place when you're banging on the manager's door, and that's when you're not playing when the team is losing every week."
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"Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game," Ronaldo wrote in a statement as the dust settled after the Spurs game. "Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we'll be together again."
A number of the Portuguese's club teammates were asked about Ronaldo's behaviour, both after the Spurs game and around the match at Chelsea. Fred and Lisandro Martinez appeared to be singing from the same hymn sheet, while Bruno Fernandes refused to give a direct answer when quizzed on his compatriot.
"We do not talk about it, we keep it quiet inside," former Sporting star Fernandes told Sky Sports. "We have to deal with that inside, no one has to know what we think, want or what will happen. We don’t know, the most important thing for everyone, including Cristiano, is that the team wins."
United's next match comes against Sheriff in the Europa League, and provides a chance for Ten Hag's team to book their place in the knockout stages of the competition. Ronaldo scored his first goal of the season in the reverse fixture, converting from the penalty spot in a 2-0 victory in Moldova.
