Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday publicly apologised for his pitch-side “outburst” following United’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Everton earlier in the day.
“It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game,” the 37-year-old said in a post on Instagram, hours after United’s 1-0 defeat.
“I would like to apologize for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship,” Ronaldo added.
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The ‘outburst’ in question took place right after the full-time whistle as United were making their way to the tunnel in Goodison Park. Footage shared on social media showed a visibly irritated Ronaldo smashing the phone of a young Everton fan.
Ronaldo’s outburst was symbolic of United’s frustrations of late: after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Leicester City last week, Ralf Rangnick’s men put up yet another dismal performance on Saturday, putting United’s hopes of a fourth-placed finish in serious jeopardy.
United goalkeeper David de Gea did not mince words after the defeat, calling it a “disgrace.”
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“We don’t create, that’s the problem. We don’t even create proper chances to score. I don’t know what to say, to be honest. We’re not good enough, that’s for sure. It’s going to be very difficult now to be in the top four,” the Spaniard told BT Sport.
Indeed, United have some challenging fixtures lined up for the remainder of the season: the Red Devils will face the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace, respectively, after they play Norwich City next week.
Given the fact that United are now six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, their chances of a top four finish are looking slim indeed.
