‘I think he has been left out because of his performances NOT his reaction’: Jamie Carragher thinks Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal axe wasn’t down to his substitute strop against South Korea
Jamie Carragher insists Cristiano Ronaldo has been dropped for Portugal’s last-16 match with Switzerland for performance reasons and not his reaction to being subbed against South Korea.
Portugal manager Fernando Santos dropped Ronaldo to the bench – just one day after insisting he ‘didn’t like’ the free agent’s angry reaction to being subbed in their last outing.
Ronaldo’s performances in Qatar though have also been criticised, and Carragher states that it’s because of this reason that that Santos made the massive call.
Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped to the bench for Portugal’s last-16 clash with Switzerland
He tweeted: ‘Would Santos the manager of Portugal drop #Ronaldo just because of his reaction to being subbed in the last game? A manager at club level maybe yes. With possibly 3 games to a WC final
‘I think he has been left out because of his performances not his reaction.’
Ronaldo arrived into the World Cup on the back of the drama surrounding his controversial interview with Piers Morgan in which he hit out at his former club Manchester United.
Ronaldo was unhappy to be hooked off after 65 minutes in Portugal’s clash with South Korea
Fernando Santos admitted that he ‘didn’t like’ Ronaldo’s reaction to being replaced
It led to the mutual termination of his contract after a frustrating start to the season, in which Erik ten Hag relegated him to the bench at Old Trafford.
Sofascore in their worst team of the group stage ratings placed Ronaldo up front with an average rating of 6.37 across his three matches.
Ronaldo has scored just one goal at the World Cup – from the penalty spot – in their opening 3-2 victory over Ghana.
He thought he had scored in the following 2-0 win over Uruguay though the goal was given to now former club team-mate Bruno Fernandes.
The 37-year-old started the final game against South Korea, but was unhappy after he was replaced in the 65th minute of the match as the nation fell to a shock 2-1 defeat.
Jamie Carragher though feels Ronaldo was dropped because of underwhelming performances
Santos in his pre-match press conference on Monday said: ‘If I see the images, yes, I didn’t like it, not at all. I really didn’t like it.
‘Everything is finished, full stop, regarding that issue and now we have to think about the match and everyone is focused on the match.
‘I only decide who is going to be the captain when I reach the stadium so I don’t know the line-up.
‘That’s what I’ve always done and that’s what I’m always going to do. It’s going to be the same with this match.’