Cristiano Ronaldo made plenty of headlines during Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea, with the Portuguese named on the bench at Stamford Bridge before storming down the tunnel at the end of a 1-1 draw.
Caretaker coach Michael Carrick has been quick to rubbish any talk of unrest in the Red Devils camp, with a five-time Ballon d’Or winner merely rotated out of his plans in west London as a side about to be inherited by Ralf Rangnick was freshened up.
There is every chance that Ronaldo will be returned to United’s starting XI for another heavyweight Premier League clash with Arsenal on Thursday, and Kleberson – a former Old Trafford team-mate of an all-time great – believes too much is being read into the actions of a passionate character.
Kleberson, who was speaking in association with Paddy Power, has told GOAL of Ronaldo opting not to acknowledge the travelling support in United’s last outing: “Cristiano Ronaldo was just frustrated at the end of the game when he headed straight down the tunnel.
“It wasn’t aimed at the supporters or manager. He came off the bench and they drew the game. Chelsea had more of the ball and more dangerous chances, all of the top players would be annoyed and frustrated by that.”
The Brazilian added on the debate regarding Ronaldo’s value to the collective cause and whether he does enough off he ball: “Cristiano Ronaldo can help Manchester United; he’s a leader and he can help the other players as well.
“There was a moment in the Chelsea game when they had a chance late on and Ronaldo tracked the full-back and tried to intercept the Chelsea cross. He tries to help Manchester United, but these are tough moments for them. It hasn’t been a great season.
“I understand how frustrated he gets. His reaction is normal for a player who is not starting or is subbed early. They’re never going to happy with that. But Ronaldo is going to have to change the way he plays so that he helps the team more because that is what Manchester United need to get back to the top of the table.”
Ronaldo was introduced in the 64th minute against Chelsea, with Jorginho cancelling out an effort from Jadon Sancho shortly after that change was made.
He made little impact on proceedings, despite netting 10 times through 15 appearances since returning to Manchester over the summer, and Kleberson – who was signed by United alongside Ronaldo back in 2003 – can understand why a man that demands such high standards will be feeling disappointed at present.
He added, with interim boss Rangnick about to open another new era for 13-time Premier League champions: “It was surprising to see Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench for Manchester United. Everyone would have been surprised at Michael Carrick’s decision. I started to question what Manchester United actually want when they’ve bought in the best player in the world, only to leave him on the bench in the big games.
“But, once the game started and listening to Carrick after the game about his game plan, it made sense. It was a brave decision to make, but he wanted to give other players an opportunity. It’s important to mention that he didn’t just bench Ronaldo, but he also benched other key players.
“His plan for the team worked well though, it made United defensively stronger, which has been one of their biggest problems this season. After the game, I understood Carrick’s decision.
“Ronaldo’s reaction is normal – no one wants to sit on the bench. All players want to play, and every player prepares to give their all and when you hear that you aren’t starting, it’s tough to take. Players will all react the same, his reaction was normal. Ronaldo wasn’t happy and that was clear, but after the first goal, he still ran to his team-mates to celebrate.
“I understand his frustration as he wants to play every game.”
United will play host to Arsenal on Thursday sat tenth in the English top-flight table, five points adrift of their midweek opponents and 15 behind leaders Chelsea.