Cristiano Ronaldo and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have both had disciplinary issues (Picture: Getty)
Paul Merson has compared Cristiano Ronaldo to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang amid ongoing disciplinary issues surrounding the Manchester United star.
Ronaldo stormed off down the tunnel in a strop as he failed to come on from the bench as United beat Tottenham 2-0 on Wednesday night.
It was later confirmed by manager Erik ten Hag that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had refused to come on as a substitute in the match.
Ronaldo has been axed from the squad that will face Chelsea on Saturday, made to train with the reserves and widespread reports claim he has been docked two weeks’ wages – around £720,000.
The situation reminds Arsenal legend Merson of Aubameyang’s disciplinary problems under Mikel Arteta.
Earlier this month a video emerged of Aubameyang criticising Arteta’s management at Arsenal in which he claimed the Spaniard did not know how to handle ‘big players’.
During their final few months together at Arsenal, Arteta stripped Aubameyang of the captaincy following several disciplinary breaches.
Arsenal subsequently agreed to terminate Aubameyang’s contract – which paved the way for the striker’s move to Barcelona in January – before he returned to England with Chelsea six months later.
‘Cristiano Ronaldo storming down the tunnel and even leaving Old Trafford early is a big thing for Erik ten Hag now – in fact, it is huge,’ Merson told the Daily Star.
‘You don’t walk down the tunnel during a match, it’s just a no-go. I did it once before away at Huddersfield in the cup and I don’t think I played again for two months.
‘Mine was slightly different as the tunnel was right next to the dugout, so it was only an extra five seconds but Ronaldo’s was a walk and a half.
‘Surely along the way his brain says to him, ‘this isn’t right, you’ve been around far too long to do this’.
‘Given he also threw a strop after being subbed against Newcastle, this has now become a real statement sequence of events.
‘It’s almost like the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saga with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.
‘There were a lot of young kids at the game on Wednesday that look up to one of the greatest players to ever play football and they will be watching it with the mindset of ‘if he can get away with that, we can all get away with it’.
‘I think this now works perfectly for Ten Hag. He’s had a right result because it’s his chance to stamp his authority on the dressing room. He can throw down the gauntlet to the rest of his young players and make it clear that he is the man in charge.’
MORE : Graham Potter dodges question on Chelsea signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Man Utd
MORE : How Man Utd squad have reacted to Erik ten Hag’s Cristiano Ronaldo stance and massive fine
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‘I think this now works perfectly for Ten Hag…’