Does Ronaldo Care Less About Us?

Since playing for United again, following a summer of speculation and injury, much has been made of the fans’ reaction to Cristiano Ronaldo. He was fortunate to miss the first month of the season, as fans who were riled up over the summer and calmed down considerably a few weeks in, particularly after a string of substandard performances. He escaped receiving a booing, but I think there has been a very apparent shift in our treatment of him.

When he’s scored, we’ve sang his song, but that is about as far as it goes. The stark contrast between our support at Ewood Park last season compared to this seemed to highlight it all the more. With a few weeks until the end of the season, his name was sang for pretty much 90 minutes. In the match there just a couple of weeks ago, ‘Viva Ronaldo’ just got a couple of rounds. 

I’m pleased to see our fans haven’t been complete mugs where Ronaldo is concerned. It’s as if we’ve already said our goodbyes, knowing he’ll be off in the summer, so can just enjoy what he gives us until then. If he scores, brilliant, if he picks up an assist, great, but he’s shown he’ll never be ‘one of us’.

Still, I keep hearing Ronaldo talking about the fans, about how pleased he is that we’ve welcomed him back, and I can’t help but wondering, does he really give a shit less?

“In the game when I came back against Villarreal I wasn’t nervous but just a bit excited to see how the fans would react to me,” Ronaldo said. “Thank God things went well. This shows people have not forgotten all the good things we’ve done together and I’m very happy with that.”

If he cares about the fans’ opinion so much, why did he dick about all summer, saying he loved to play in white, and that God only knew his future. Yes, God did know your future, and He flew out to Portugal and told you that you were staying, remember?

It’s a odd situation to feel so disconnected from one of our players, particularly when considering that he’s our ‘best player’, the best in the World. But I read what he has to stay about the fans, thanking God that we still accept him, and think, bollocks. What is it that FC United fans sing about Rio again?

Regardless, Ronaldo is hopeful of winning the league and European Cup this season, which I suppose would be an acceptable parting gift…

“Things are going pretty well,” Ronaldo said of the season so far. “I’d love a repeat of last season and continue to show some good progression.”