Portugal’s best footballers assembled in Lisbon this week amid the jingle of freshly-minted medals. There was Rafael Leao, still beaming about the Serie A title he played such a large part in seizing for AC Milan. Goalkeeper Rui Patricio was there with something novel in his luggage: a first place in the inaugural Europa Conference League, achieved with Roma.
The Manchester City cohort, Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo checked in with their Premier League gongs, as Ruben Dias would have done but for the fact he is recuperating from injury.
Liverpool’s Diogo Jota touched down with tales to tell about his two English Cups, FA and League, and his narrow-miss silver medals from the league and Champions League.
William Carvalho has his Spanish Copa del Rey with Real Betis. Then there’s the Paris Saint-Germain pair, Danilo and Nuno Mendes, whose club strolled to the Ligue 1 title, and the trio from Porto – Otavio, Vitinha and the veteran Pepe – who have regained the Portuguese league title.
The captain of the national squad congratulated each of them and then quickly moved the focus on, to the two international titles on his and their agenda before the end of 2022. No Portugal player will approach qualifying for the next Uefa Nations League finals and the World Cup with as much intensity as the captain, the veteran Cristiano Ronaldo.
He will also recognise there are questions being whispered about his mobility and endurance, and that it is an unusual summer camp when he is not the man receiving applause from compatriots for his achievements in the previous season.
The last of the eight league crowns Ronaldo lists on his honours is Serie A in 2019-20, the second title of his three years at Juventus. The last silverware was the 2021 Italian Cup. Last Saturday night, he watched nine of his former team-mates at Real Madrid catch up with his tally of European Cups by winning their fifth. He has not won club football’s biggest prize since 2018.
On Thursday, before the Uefa Nations League meeting between Spain and Portugal, Ronaldo will congratulate Dani Carvajal, Nacho and Marco Asensio, the Spain internationals from Madrid’s jubilant squad, on those medals. It was a significant milestone his former club achieved in Paris by beating Liverpool – a first European Cup triumph in more than 20 years for Madrid that had not been propelled by Ronaldo’s match-winning contributions in, or on the way to, the final.
If he watched the Madrid celebrations with a generous, shared thrill, he cannot help but have reflected that the impetus he was asked to give his two employers since Madrid.
Manchester United 2021/22 season ratings
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MANCHESTER UNITED SEASON RATINGS: David de Gea - 8. A candidate for the club’s player of the year, the Spaniard is United’s undisputed number one and the dips in form which allowed Dean Henderson to challenge him have gone. Spoke out far more this season, as he should have done given his status as a senior member. He’s now 11th in United’s all-time appearance chart with 487. He’d prefer a team trophy to any such plaudits, but his side conceded far too many goals, but that was down to the players in front of him rather than the Madrileno who played far more minutes than any of his teammates. EPA -
Dean Henderson - 5. A threat to De Gea’s position during lockdown, Henderson did at least push the Spaniard into getting his act together again. Contracting Covid before the season commenced set him back and he could never get a chance and started only three games all season. As he showed in the previous season, he’s a very good goalkeeper who deserves to be playing regularly. He’s also likely to attract a bigger fee than any other United player this summer. EPA -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 3. A complete regression for the right-back who has got worse in each of his three seasons at Old Trafford . Played every single minute of the first 13 league games of the season, when the low point was leaving his man to try and retrieve the ball before Liverpool’s opener. Tackles well but doesn’t offer enough going forward, his crossing is poor and and so is positioning at the other end. His last three appearances saw United lose all three, scoring no goals and conceding nine. We understand he wants to stay at Old Trafford and is contracted until 2024, but his new boss’ view of him will be the most important one. EPA -
Phil Jones - 4. Thankfully, he’s back after a horrendous run of injuries. Thankfully, showed he’s still capable of playing Premier League football. The support he received playing against Wolves at Old Trafford contrasted sharply with the previous abuse he suffered. Jones is not United’s future and would be better off playing regularly elsewhere. AP -
Harry Maguire - 4. His worst season as a United player and in professional football. United’s captain had been a key squad member until an injury in May 2020. Like many who played in Euro 2020, he struggled at the start of the season and was rushed back for Leicester away, but unlike others he kept his place. Unfairly became a figure of mockery when even his good performances were overlooked. Defends well and in the eight games he missed United only won once, but with his confidence hit he made too many errors and looked less secure the further forward he went. He’s determined to stay captain and get back to where he was. Plenty of United fans will back him to do so, as will his new manager. PA -
Raphael Varane - 5. Such high hopes when he signed from Real Madrid, but such an underwhelming season followed for him. Varane is a world-class defender and he showed that against Atletico. With a proper pre-season behind him, something he didn’t have last term, he hopes to prove it to United fans. And even when he missed far too many games, he still won a higher percentage of duels than any defender apart from Virgil van Dijk. Awful in the 0-4 defeat at Brighton as the home side cut through United time and again. EPA -
Victor Lindelof - 4. Should be in the prime of his career, but he is another with a poor season to his name. His performance at right back away to Atletico was painful to watch. Did well in the opening two games when Varane’s signing was considered imminent, then lost his place to the Frenchman but won it back since Varane was too often injured. Catching Covid didn’t help, nor three managers and the ever-shifting defensive selections. Known as the Ice Man at Benfica, he melted in key moments this season, though it wasn’t just his fault because there was too much space around him to be exploited. He’s well rated at Carrington, let’s see what his new boss thinks of him. AFP -
Eric Bailly - 3. Central defender who doesn’t play enough games and has never played enough games. Capable of the sublime and the ridiculous in the same match. Excellent at Chelsea away, but that’s nowhere near sufficient – yet he still had his contract renewed in 2021. EPA -
Luke Shaw - 4. Another defender who regressed – they all did. Shaw, 26, had his Euro 2020 hangover but started in 11 of the 12 opening league games. Tangling with Maguire before Liverpool went 2-0 up after 13 minutes was a low point. His side was 4-0 down at half time for the first time in 31 years. United’s defence conceded 57 goals – four more than relegated Burnley. AP -
Alex Telles - 5. The Brazilian, 29, got the opportunities after Solskjaer departed and didn’t start in a game United lost until Man City away in March, but in the biggest game at home to Atletico, he turned into his man and lost possession before the ball came in for Atletico’s opener from his side, as it had for their disallowed goal. Suspect when defending, capable of the best crosses at the club and a decent assists too but doesn’t look like a top class full-back. Getty -
Diogo Dalot - 6. Got the chances he’d hoped for after a successful season on loan at Milan. Best game was his first league start of the season at home to Arsenal when he pushed right up and got right back. Before that, he’d been blitzed by Villarreal’s Danjuma at Old Trafford. Steadied himself defensively but still too erratic for his position and didn’t find consistency. It wasn’t easy in a failing, flailing, team. EPA -
Fred - 7. One of the few who had a better than mediocre season. Moved around, broke up play, energetic. Replicated a famous move by Real Madrid player Redondo at Old Trafford in a bright United start against Atletico and scored four times – important goals too - in the league. Reuters -
Scott McTominay - 5. All heart, passion and commitment which too few of those around him showed, but lacks the technical level and often found himself up against better players: Koke, De Bruyne, Rodri, Keita, Henderson et al. Getty -
Jadon Sancho - 5. Overall, a disappointing first season after his vast transfer from Dortmund. One of the few players who improved under Rangnick, at least for a few months after Christmas, and his super curling shot against his former club Manchester City for the equaliser was about the only bright moment in another derby hammering. Five goals was a poor return, too. AFP -
Nemanja Matic - 5. United’s best player in the worst game of the season, a 4-0 defeat at Brighton. Which would be of zero consolation to him. Played a lot towards the end of the season and brought balance to the side, but was seldom good for the full 90. Left the club of his own accord at the end of the season. Good luck. EPA -
Bruno Fernandes - 5. Often frustrated, too often argumentative – and less productive, despite being United’s second top scorer with 10 (and 13 assists). Took United’s 100th corner of the season in January – they’d resulted in zero goals. He signed a huge new contract, not that he’s not been playing well enough to convince fans he deserved it. Could and should be central to United’s rebuild, but needs to reach far better levels. PA -
Paul Pogba - 4. Another disappointment and one 95 per cent of fans in one poll would be happy to see go. Started the season well and made seven of his nine assists in the opening four games, then faded like his team and lost his place in the side before being out injured with hamstring issues. He started only 16 league games. Brilliant for France, he scored a pitiful one goal. At 29, he should be at his peak. United fans don’t see that and, out of contract, he looks set to leave on a free transfer for the second time. Getty -
Anthony Elanga - 7. Immediately picked out by Rangnick, enjoyed his first league start of the season and he started it well on the left, stretching Villa. Enjoyed a promising start among fans and his equaliser at Atletico was one of the few season highs (not scoring in the cup against Middlesbrough was his low), but by Brighton away he was a spent force who’d faded. Getty -
Mason Greenwood - 6. Pass. Reuters -
Edinson Cavani - 3. A terrible second season compared to his first, where he finished strongly. The Uruguayan, 35, was in the starting XI for just 18 per cent of United’s games and scored only two goals. Whether it was his groin, calf, tendon, quarantine or an unspecified ‘knock’, he was unfit to play far too often. That annoyed his teammates. Can you blame them? PA -
Marcus Rashford - 3. His worst season in red as he started only a third of United’s games – but the previous season was hardly convincing either and his stock has plummeted among fans. Five goals and two assists was a poor return. Recovering from a shoulder injury hadn’t helped and nor did the players around him, but he has to get his form back or his future will be away from Old Trafford. Intends to concentrate on his football next season. Good. AFP -
Cristiano Ronaldo - 8. By a distance the top scorer with 24 goals across all competitions, including 18 in the league, the 37-year-old still has impressive stats. He smashed through the 800-goal mark for clubs and country in December and provided most of the best moments of United’s season, scoring in the first five Champions League group games, but not against Atletico in the last 16 when it mattered. Home hat-tricks against Spurs and Norwich lifted the Old Trafford gloom. PA -
Juan Mata - 5. The Spaniard was desperate to play more football. Didn’t play a minute in any league game until April but got more minutes towards the end of the season and was effective exploiting pockets of space in his first start against Brentford, less so against Brighton in the following game. Out of contract. Hard to see him staying and he was the last player on the pitch as he waved goodbye to fans at Selhurst Park. EPA -
Jesse Lingard - 3. Awful season for him on and off the pitch. Felt he was promised more minutes which didn’t arrive. Wanted to go on loan in January to replicate his loan at West Ham in 201 – and then he didn’t. Out of contract and not leaving quietly. Fans not sad to see him go. PA
Juventus wanted him to deliver Champions League glory; Manchester United, who he joined for a second spell last August, wanted his goals to simply deliver a trophy – was not realised. His club football has become frustrating. If he stays with United, he will go into the new season without a prospect of playing in the Champions League. That has not happened to him since he was 17.
This season is only the third time as a senior professional he has gone a full campaign without any sort of prize. That may encourage Ronaldo to listen a little harder to the interest from the likes of Roma – who finished sixth in Serie A – in taking him on ahead of a 2022-23 during which he will turn 38.
But an equal priority is to prepare himself physically and psychologically for a glorious swansong to an astonishing international career. Plot the next six months as Ronaldo would desire, and he will be playing his 199th match for his country in the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on December 18. That’s the date of the World Cup final.
Are Portugal contenders? A far less gifted squad than they have now triumphed at the European Championship in 2016.
In the Ronaldo era, which encompasses the last four World Cups, he has never been beyond the first knockout round. Yet the arguments that the current crop of players should aspire to much better, and to at least a semi-final, are powerful.
Ronaldo is among a brilliant range of attacking options that head coach Fernando Santos picks from: United’s Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Jota, the rapidly-rising Rafael of Milan, and Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix – absent from the Spain game because of injury – among others.
Or, better put, they are the options the coach picks to line up around Ronaldo. Asked on Wednesday to sum up the captain’s status in a national team that is gradually approaching the day it must plan for a future without him, Santos said simply: “He’s the best in the world.”
