Premier League great Mark Schwarzer believes it’s time for Cristiano Ronaldo to part ways with Manchester United, amid the constant speculation about the disgruntled stars future.
Ronaldo appears to be heading towards an ugly exit from Manchester United after he missed the clubs pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia last month.
It’s believed that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is chasing a transfer away from the Red Devils after they failed to qualify for the Champions League last season.
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While Ronaldo did return to Manchester United’s match day squad for a pre-season clash with Spanish club Rayo Vallecano on Monday (AEST), he was subbed off at halftime.
After storming out of Old Trafford with 10 minutes to play in that match, manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly set to bench the star striker for their Premier League season opener on Sunday.
It was an act that had Hag branded as “unacceptable” as the Dutchman looks to assert his authority.
Ronaldo returns to Manchester at last | 00:36
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Schwarzer said that while both the club and ten Hag have done well to manage the recent drama and speculation, it might be time to find Ronaldo a deal with another club.
“It’s time for him to move on. I still think he could add something to Manchester United but I don’t see him as a week-in week-out starter and that’s obviously what he demanded last season,” Schwarzer said on the Gegen Pod.
“He was their leading goal scorer, he was the player that got them out of more trouble than anyone else. I kind of understand it. But now you’re talking about building a side.
“For Cristiano Ronaldo, we all know he’s running out of time. He wants to win trophies, he wants to win things, he wants to win another Ballon d’Or for sure, (but I) don’t think that’s going to happen.
“I reckon it’d be amazing if he went to Atletico Madrid… there’s massive resistance from fans and some people from within the club.”
European giants including Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have all reportedly turned down the chance to sign the 37-year-old.
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He has also been linked with a stunning return to his boyhood club Sporting Lisbon, who have qualified for this year’s Champions’ League group stage.
Another player under pressure in Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, who was recently warned about his underwhelming form with the Premier League champions last season.
Former Aston Villa striker Tony Cascarino told talkSPORT that Grealish could leave the Etihad and “end up back at Villa” if the £100m player doesn’t improve.
Schwarzer, who is widely considered to be a Premier League legend, doesn’t think that the 26-year-old has lived up to the expectation believed of him when he signed for City.
“I think he’s a million miles away from even the player he was at Aston Villa,” he added.
“He’s an interesting one. His relationship with Erling Haaland, how that’s going to develop, how that’s gonna flourish. We talk about big signings and I think Haaland, Darwin Nunez, these guys they will fit in, they will score goals.
“It will be a battle of who will finish top at the end of the season, I’ve got no doubt.”
The Premier League kicks off with a match between Crystal Palace and Champions League hopefuls Arsenal at Selhurst Park.
Manchester United don’t get their season underway until 11pm on Sunday against Brighton at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag said it was “unacceptable” for Cristiano Ronaldo and other Manchester United players to leave Old Trafford before the end of Sunday’s friendly against Rayo Vallecano.
After taking a strong team to Oslo to face Atletico Madrid on Saturday, United wrapped up their pre-season preparations against another Spanish side the following day.
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United drew 1-1 with Rayo at Old Trafford as star man Ronaldo made his first appearance of pre-season, playing the first 45 minutes.
The 37-year-old missed the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to a family issue, and the wantaway forward was pictured with Diogo Dalot leaving Sunday’s game before full-time.
Ten Hag did not speak to the media after the match but has now expressed his annoyance to broadcaster Viaplay.
“There were many more (as well as Ronaldo) who went home,” the United boss said. “This is unacceptable for everyone,” he said. “I tell them that it’s unacceptable, that we are a team, a squad and that you should stay until the end.”
Ten Hag will take charge of his first competitive match as United manager on Sunday, when they face Brighton at home in the Premier League.
It comes a week after Ronaldo returned to training for talks with the coach about his future at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo, who missed the club’s pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia for personal reasons, wants to leave the club he rejoined last year.
I have arrived at United’s Carrington training base with his agent Jorge Mendes. Former United manager Alex Ferguson was also seen arriving.
New United manager Ten Hag said earlier this month that Ronaldo was “not for sale”.
“We are planning for Cristiano Ronaldo for the season and that’s it and I’m looking forward to working with him,” he said.
“I have read it, but what I say is Cristiano is not for sale, he is in our plans and we want success together.” The former Real Madrid and Juventus player finished as United’s topscorer last season with 24 goals.
But the campaign was a huge disappointment for the club, who finished sixth in the Premier League, missing out on Champions League qualification.
Volkswagen has drawn up battle plans to make the new Amarok the must-have ute of 2023.
Based on the new Ford Ranger, the new Amarok represents a significant leap beyond the previous model.
It shares core underpinnings and diesel engines with the Ranger, as well as new safety features including auto emergency braking, active cruise control and blind-spot monitoring.
Volkswagen’s best-selling model is also likely to share the Ford’s 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine, a motor that sends 184kW and 600Nm to all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission.
But it won’t get the 292kW/283Nm petrol V6 exclusively offered in Ford’s Ranger Raptor.
Ford elected not to offer the Australian Ranger with a 2.3-litre turbo petrol engine found in some Amarok models, one that delivers 222kW and 452Nm of performance.
But the cars are not identical.
VW’s machine wears butch styling shaped by a Melbourne-based design team.
It has the same core interior as the Ranger, though high-end Amarok models have fancier 10-way electric seat adjustment than the Ranger’s eight-way chairs.
And Volkswagen’s 12-inch digital dashboard display is larger than the 8-inch readouts fitted as standard to the Ranger.
Top-grade Amarok variants ride on 21-inch wheels that are significantly larger than the 18-inch rims of a Ranger Wildtrak, which could return more car-like precision from a steering wheel shared with VW’s passenger cars.
VW says the new machine, built in South Africa as opposed to the Thailand-sourced Ranger, benefits from shorter and more frequent shipping routes than the older model, which came from Argentina.
That “ensures steadier supply”, according to Volkswagen.
But it will also mean the Amarok is subject to a 5 per cent vehicle import tariff that does not apply to the Thai-built Ranger, a factor likely to make the VW more expensive than its Blue Oval cousin.
VW will reveal prices for the Amarok closer to its official debut in the first quarter of 2023.
Team Australia dominated the Commonwealth Games medal tally in Birmingham in the opening four days, sitting comfortably in front – thanks largely to more dominance in the pool.
Australia claimed a stunning eight gold medals on day one, including five of a possible seven in the pool! On day two, Australia added five more golds.
The gold rush continued with nine on day three, highlighted by Emma McKeon making history with a record-breaking 11th Commonwealth Games gold medal when she took out the Women’s 50m freestyle final.
Australia has dominated again on day four with another NINE gold medals, coming in judo, lawn bowls, cycling and gymnastics — along with the usual big haul in the pool.
Australia has opened day five with a 72nd medal of the Games, this time a bronze in the men’s vault in artistic gymnastics.
DAY 5 LIVE: Athletics begins as Browning opens 100m campaign; McKeon and Simpson eye final swim day
DAY 4 WRAP: Aussies win NINE golds in wild Games medal blitz; Chalmers win ‘hard to enjoy’
Read on for more details and the full medal tally.
Australia sit on top of the medal tally with 31 gold, 20 silver and 21 bronze (71 total!), ahead of England and New Zealand.
The Aussies topped the tally with 198 medals — including 80 gold — in the Gold Coast four years ago.
You can track the live medal tally for every country here, with key Aussie wins and updates as they happen.
Click here for a full list of EVERY Aussie medal winner!
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COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDALS TALLY (AS OF 5:30AM WEDNESDAY)
RANK/COUNTRY/GOLD/SILVER/BRONZE/TOTAL
1. Australia — 37, 28, 30, 95
2.England—28, 30, 17, 75
3.New Zealand—13, 7, 5, 25
4. Canada — 10, 14, 19, 43
5. South Africa—6, 5, 5, 16
6. India — 5, 4, 3, 12
7.Scotland—3, 8, 15, 26
8. Wales—3, 2, 8, 13
9. Malaysia — 2, 2, 3, 7
10. Nigeria — 2, 1, 4, 7
See the full live medal tally here.
DAY-BY-DAY MEDAL LIST
DAY FIVE
James Bacuetti claimed Australia’s first men’s gymnastics medal of these Games, winning bronze in the men’s vault. 20-year-old English sensation Jake Jarman won gold – his FOURTH of the Games – ahead of Fellow Englishman Giarnni Regini-Moran.
Aofie Coughlan took home the gold medal in the women’s 70kg judo final while Eileen Cikamatana set a new Games Record en route to a gold medal in the women’s 87kg weightlifting final.
in the swimming, Mollie O’Callaghan produced a stunning upset to win the gold in the womens’ 100m freestyle as Elizabeth Deckers won the women’s 200m butterfly.
nina kennedy secured the gold in the women’s pole vault.
DAY 5 LIVE: Athletics begins as Browning opens 100m campaign; McKeon and Simpson eye more gold
DAY FOUR
Australia ended day four with 31 gold, 20 silver and 21 bronze (71 total!), ahead of England and New Zealand.
Georgia Goodwin narrowly won gold in the women’s vault over Canada’s Laurie Denommee, while at the track, matthew glaetzer won gold in the men’s 1,000m time trial. Ellen Ryan won gold in the women’s lawn bowls singles and Tinka Easton caused an upset by claiming gold in judo.
in the pool, Kyle Chalmer won the 100m freestyle, Kaylee McKeown won the 200m backstroke and matthew levy claimed gold in the men’s 50m freestyle S7. Emma McKeon then narrowly clinched gold in the 50m breaststroke to extend her Games record to 12 golds, while the Aussies ended the night with victory in the men’s 4x200m freestyle.
Aussie weightlifter robbed of Gold?! | 00:26
Elsewhere, 49-year-old legend Jian Fang Lay has led the Aussie team to bronze in the women’s table tennis team event.
It began with victory in doubles alongside Yangzi Liu, who won her own singles game before Jian Fang Lay sealed the 3-0 over Wales with a singles victory of her own.
Kyle Bruce claimed silver in the men’s 81kg weightlifting after a heartbreaking jury decision overruled his final, gold-winning lift.
The Aussie men’s triples claimed silver in the lawn bowls, fighting back from 12-1 down in the final to level the score at 12-12 against England before falling 14-12.
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Jian Fang Lay led the Aussies to bronze in table tennis!Source: Getty Images
DAY THREE
Australians Sam Harding and Jonathan Gorlach kicked off the day with superb silver and bronze medals in the men’s PTVI triathlon final.
Emma McKeon and Kaylee McKeown then added two more gold in the pool taking out the Women’s 50m freestyle and the 100m backstroke respectively.
McKeon led home meg harris in silver with Shayna Jack (24.36) finishing third.
In the men’s 50m breaststroke, Zac Stubblety-Cook (59.52) took home bronze.
The Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team then completed a dominant campaign in the pool by breaking the world record.
Georgia Godwin won the all-round rhythmic gymnastics women’s final.
Australia’s Women’s 7s rugby side then put the pain of Tokyo behind them to claim gold in the final against Fiji.
In track cycling, matthew richardson won the men’s final sprint.
Kristina Clonan took home gold in the 500m time trial.
Georgia Baker won the women’s 25km points race, while Jessica Gallagher picked up her second gold medal of the Games in the Women’s tandem 1000m time trial with pilot Caitlyn Ward.
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‘Took all my courage and energy to swim’: Chalmers stuns in raw, emotional interview
DAY TWO
madison de rosario took out the women’s T53/54 marathon in style, dominating the field to win with a Commonwealth Games record time of 1:56:00.
Jess Stenson won the women’s marathon with an incredible run, going better than her two bronze medals in Glasgow and the Gold Coast.
It was another ripping day in the pool, with katja dedekind winning a gold meal in the women’s 50m freestyle S13 while both the men’s and women’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay finished first.
There were silver medals for maeve plouffe in the women’s 3000m individual pursuit, Brendon Smith in the men’s 400m IM, Emma McKeon in the women’s 100m butterfly and the artistic gymnastics team.
DAY 2 NEWS
WRAP: McKeon makes history amid swim gold rush; rugby stars win thriller
‘A load of s***’: Chalmers explodes at media for ‘ruining it all’ over love triangle claims
‘Dream big’: ‘Extraordinary’ journey behind ‘one of the great’ Aussie athletics triumphs
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DAY ONE
matt hauser had the honor of being the first Australian to win a medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, taking home the silver medal in the Men’s Triathlon Sprint Distance Final.
Ariarne Titmus won gold in the women’s 200m freestyle, 18-year-old Aussie Mollie O’Callaghan claimed silver in an unbelievable late charge, ahead of Madison Wilson.
Elijah Winnington won gold in the men’s 400m freestyle, ahead of fellow Aussies Sam Short and Mack Horton. Zac Stubblety-Cook won gold in the men’s 200m breaststroke while Kiah Melverton took silver in the women’s 400m Individual Medley.
In the final race of night one, Australia won gold in the mixed 4x100m relay.
Cristiano Ronaldo could be heading for an ugly exit from Manchester United, after the striker sensationally left Old Trafford during a pre-season match last weekend.
Playing his first preseason match after missing the tour to Thailand and Australia, Ronaldo stormed out of the stadium with 10 minutes to play after being subbed off at half-time.
The Portugal international had been visibly frustrated with manager Erik ten Hag earlier in the fixture, while his agent Jorge Mendes reportedly continues to push for a transfer.
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Meanwhile, Chelsea forward Timo Werner could complete an incredible move to a fierce London rival as two Premier League clubs enter the race for his services.
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva is also on the cusp of a massive transfer to a Spanish powerhouse, but the deal hinges on another star being sold.
Here’s the latest transfer gossip in the latest edition of the Rumor Mill!
RONALDO LEAVES OLD TRAFFORD
Ronaldo donned Manchester United’s famous red jersey for the first time in 12 weeks during the club’s 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano on Monday (AEST).
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner played 45 minutes in his highly anticipated return, and later said that he was “happy to be back”.
But manger ten Hag is reportedly disappointed with the 37-year-old after he left Old Trafford before the final whistle.
UK media outlet The Sun have shared pictures of Ronaldo shrugging and covering his face in frustration while his new manager attempted to address him during a water break.
After being subbed off at half-time, Ronaldo then left the stadium with 10 minutes still to play. Photos show the football superstar walking out to a few, if not angry, fans waiting for him.
“It is not a good look to leave early when you have been involved in the squad,” a Manchester United insider told SunSport.
“It is different if you are up in the stands and not involved.
“You would expect someone who has played in the game to be in the changing rooms at the end to listen to the manager’s thoughts.
“Also a lot of people were there to see him and he was not even involved in the clapping of the fans after the final whistle.”
Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes is still hoping to secure a transfer for his disgruntled client.
CHELSEA STRIKER COULD SWAP LONDON BLUE FOR RED
Timo Werner could line up for one of Chelsea’s fiercest rivals this season, with The Blues reportedly willing to part ways with the German international in this transfer window.
The 26-year-old, who joined Chelsea for $83m (AEDT) in 2020, has failed to fire at the level that was expected of him when he signed at Stamford Bridge, having scored just 10 Premier League goals in 56 games.
But Werner could be handed a Premier League lifeline with London rivals Arsenal, who are interested in acquiring his services.
Mikel Arteta has already welcomed former Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus in this transfer window, as they continue to bolster their attack.
Newcastle United are also interested in signing Werner on loan, but his hefty wage is potential issue in regards to that deal.
The Sunhave also said that European powerhouses Juventus and Real Madrid are also interested in Werner.
SILVA ON THE BRINK OF BARCA DEAL
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva is close to a massive deal with Barcelona, as the Spanish giants continue to rebuild towards their former glory.
But Silva will only be able to complete the move if Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong agrees to leave the club.
De Jong has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United throughout this transfer window, although he appears intent on staying at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona manager Xavi has revealed that he doesn’t know whether de Jong will remain at the club or not.
“I don’t know if he’s going to stay here,” Xavi said.
“I’ve never sent Frenkie a message. There’s still time and a lot of things can still happen.
“The fact that he played as a central defender in the other games was not a sign that he was leaving.”
FIRM TO STAY AT LIVERPOOL
Football insider Fabrizio Romano has shared some major transfer news for Liverpool fans, as a Champions League winner confirms his intention to remain at the club.
Forward Roberto Firmino has said that he loves “this team, city and fans”, amidst speculation about his future with The Reds.
“I love this team, city and fans,” Firmino told TNT Brazil.
“I’m here at Liverpool and I want to stay.”
DEFEND TO JOIN THE BLUES
Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella has been heavily linked with a transfer to English champions Manchester City, but a deal with Chelsea appears to be more likely.
Cucurella may be wearing a darker shade of blue this season as the London club entering talks with the defender.
City have refused to increase their bid which has seen them fall out of the race for his signature – for now.
Cristiano Ronaldo played 45 minutes as he made his first Manchester United appearance in 12 weeks during a 1-1 pre-season draw with Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford and later proclaimed: “Happy to be back”.
The 37-year-old Portugal forward, who missed the club’s pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia for personal reasons, reportedly wants to leave the club he rejoined last year.
Former Real Madrid and Juventus star Ronaldo finished as United’s top scorer last season with 24 goals.
Ronaldo returns to Manchester at last | 00:36
But the campaign as a whole was a huge disappointment for the club, with a sixth-place finish in the Premier League meaning they missed out on qualification for the Champions League.
Ronaldo was left out of United’s squad for Saturday’s friendly with Atletico Madrid in Oslo.
But, commenting on a post on a fan page about him missing the game in Norway, Ronaldo wrote Friday: “Domingo o rei joga” which translates as “Sunday the king plays”.
Ronaldo applauded fans on both sides of the ground as he led the team out for their pre-match warm-up on Sunday.
The veteran forward had one clear chance during his 45-minute appearance but drove over the bar after running on to Donny van de Beek’s lay-off.
LATEST ON RONALDO: Man Utd star chases stunning reunion with Sporting Lisbon
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United during the Pre-Season Friendly match. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
After the match, Ronaldo posted a photograph of himself playing in the game on his Twitter feed beneath a caption of “Happy to be back”.
“I cannot tell at this moment [how fit Ronaldo is],” Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag said pre-game.
“He is not on the level of the rest of the squad because he has missed a lot of weeks.
“But he needs games and he needs training, a lot.”
New signings Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez both featured for an hour in a game set up by Ten Hag for the players who did not have major roles in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Atletico.
Amad Diallo, who was on loan at Rangers last season, gave United the lead early in the second half when the 20-year-old Ivory Coast winger fired in the rebound after a shot from Alex Telles had been saved.
United’s lead, however, lasted just nine minutes before Alvaro Garcia equalized in similar fashion after Tom Heaton had saved Isaac Palazon Camacho’s initial effort.
United start their Premier League campaign at home to Brighton on August 7.
Colin Farrell didn’t have a great time filming Thirteen Lives.
“Terrifying, in a word. Terrifying,” the Irish actor told Entertainment Tonight at the film’s premiere Thursday night while describing the experience, reported Page Six.
The Ron Howard-directed movie recounts the real-life 2018 rescue of a dozen young boys and their football coach who were trapped in the flooded Tham Luang cave in Thailand.
“It was scary. I’m not a great swimmer anyway, not that we were swimming, not that we were treading water — we had to stay on the surface — but they built a really impressive network of caves,” the In Bruges star shared.
“It was about four or five different caves that were based on the topography of the caves, the Tham Luang caves in Thailand, and they filled them full of water, and we’d go down and there was no up.”
Farrell, who plays rescue diver John Volanthen, added that not being able to see the water’s surface was horrifying and “just wreaks havoc on [the] mind.” He even shared that he experienced panic attacks underwater, which he called a “new experience.”
However, the True Detective alum explained that all the underwater scenes did not improve his aquatic abilities, adding that being a rescue diver is “a very particular skill set.”
Farrell was not the only star on set who struggled with the intense scenes.
His co-star Viggo Mortensen, who plays real-life hero Richard Stanton, shared that he, too, panicked at one point while filming.
“All of a sudden I couldn’t breathe,” the Green Book star, 63, told People. “It seemed like a long time, but it was only a matter of seconds. I panicked.”
Although he managed to remember his training and switch the mouthpiece to the oxygen tank, Mortensen acknowledged that “it’s not that complicated, but at the moment, it’s hard to think clearly.”
The movie also stars Joel Edgerton, Tom Bateman and Paul Gleeson.
Thirteen Lives is on Amazon Prime Video from Friday, August 5.
This article originally appeared on Page Six and was reproduced here with permission
