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Man Utd stars ‘unimpressed’ with Cristiano Ronaldo request highlights his influence

Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has long been seen as a leader in the Manchester United dressing room, but his influence may be waning.

When Cristiano Ronaldo initially came to Old Trafford, all anybody could speak about was his influence on his Manchester United colleagues, with allegations that the rest of the Red Devils were copying his eating habits.

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Former United goalkeeper Lee Grant said that other players had begun skipping dessert after being inspired by the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Ronaldo is a well-known fitness enthusiast who takes special care of his body.

 

It is one of the main reasons why the forward has been able to continue playing at the greatest level for one of the world’s largest teams for as long as he has.

 

Grant told talkSPORT about Ronaldo’s diet: “To give you an example of his influence on the group, consider Friday night in the hotel.

 

“So, as you’re probably aware, you complete your supper and, on a Friday night, you normally have some cheat food on hand. You can choose between apple crumble with custard or brownie and cream.

 

“I swear to you, no one touched the apple crumble and custard, and no one went up for the brownie since everyone was seated. ‘What has Cristiano got on his plate?’ one of the lads asked. Obviously, it is the cleanest, healthiest dish imaginable.”

 

That’s not to say they imitated every meal Ronaldo ate; one source told The Sun that the former Real Madrid player’s fondness for octopus didn’t rub off on his teammates.

 

The source claimed how several couldn’t bring themselves to eat octopus and were ‘unimpressed’ that he wanted it, in what possibly be the first reported case of United’s impressionable stars not following the striker’s lead.

 

“He also likes octopus, but the majority of the men won’t go there – even though it plainly works for Ronny,” a source told The Sun.

 

“Cristiano loves his proteins, like pieces of ham, eggs, and avocados, and the cooks are attempting to give him a flavor of home.”

 

Just over a year later, the 37-year-grip old’s over the Manchester United dressing room appears to be slipping, though this isn’t entirely down to what he puts on his plate. Ronaldo’s attitude has been questioned for some time, but it reached a boiling point during last week’s 2-0 win over Tottenham.

 

The forward refused to come off the bench, instead storming down the Old Trafford tunnel minutes before the final whistle. In reaction, manager Erik ten Hag decided to temporarily banish Ronaldo from the first team and exiled him for the trip to Chelsea.

 

Ronaldo has recently returned to training, and both Ten Hag and the attacker should proceed with caution. From the manager’s perspective, it is evident that his wantaway star is still held in high regard by certain members of the squad.

 

Making an example of Ronaldo and attempting to drive him out in public could backfire on Ten Hag, making him appear worse in the eyes of some of his players.

 

At the same time, the United locker room has a few different characters than the one Ronaldo entered last summer. Furthermore, a lot of high-profile personalities that greeted the Premier League icon have now moved on to new challenges.

 

Lisandro Martinez is one of those who joined very recently during the summer transfer window, and it would appear from his most recent words that his allegiances are unquestionable with the manager.

 

When asked about his thoughts on Ronaldo heading down the tunnel last week, the Argentine admitted: “I didn’t witness anything, so I’m not sure. I only like being with the people, and we won, which is crucial.”

 

The remarks demonstrated how insignificant Ronaldo has become inside this United team. The goal machine, no longer the star, isn’t aging gracefully as he struggles to accept that he isn’t as important at Old Trafford as he would like.

 

As the weeks pass and Ten Hag continues to impress by managing some critical wins, such as the one against Tottenham, the Dutchman’s number of allies in the United dressing room is expected to rise – potentially at the expense of Ronaldo.

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