Gabby Agbonlahor has insisted Cristiano Ronaldo is “unsportsmanlike” and “pathetic” after Man United were hit with an FA charge.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England attacker claimed Ronaldo is “desperate” to score goals in the Premier League and will break the rules to do so.
The 37-year-old thought he had scored in Man United’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle United last weekend (16 October).
He nicked the ball as Nick Pope prepared to take a free-kick as he thought Fabian Schar had taken it when passing the ball back to the goalkeeper.
Craig Pawson was quick to blow his whistle to rule it out and the Man United players surrounded the referee.
The FA confirmed earlier this week (18 October) that the club had been charged with failing to control their players during the incident.
“It was unsportsmanlike of Ronaldo,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“You’re so desperate to score that you try and score in any way possible. It was obvious that the defender had passed it back to the keep to take the free-kick. You know the keeper is not just going to stand there while you take the ball.
“The way the whole Man United squad surrounded the referee was pathetic, to be honest.
“The Newcastle players were brilliant, they didn’t react. They just stood there and thought ‘You can’t break us down, you’re that desperate to score, you want to run and kick it past the keeper and score while he’s waiting to take a free-kick’.
“It was honestly the most pathetic attempt at a goal that I’ve seen from Man United. It shows how desperate Ronaldo is to score goals, he would go to any lengths possible.”
The game against Newcastle could turn out to be Ronaldo’s last in a United shirt.
He stormed down the tunnel and left early during the 2-0 win over Tottenham on Wednesday (19 October) and has been banished from the first-team squad.
