Ange Postecoglou has strongly defended Cristiano Ronaldo after Al-Nassr suffered a 4-0 defeat to Al-Ain in their opening AFC Champions League Elite match.
The Australian manager accepted responsibility for the disappointing result but rejected criticism directed at Ronaldo following the heavy loss in the United Arab Emirates.
Ronaldo, 41, was unable to score as Al-Nassr struggled to create clear opportunities against the UAE champions. Houssine Rahimi scored twice, while Soufiane Rahimi and Giorgos Giakoumakis were also on target for Al-Ain.
After the match, a journalist questioned Ronaldo's contribution and suggested that the Portuguese forward had done little for the team in recent games. Postecoglou immediately challenged that assessment.
“Cristiano has scored three goals already,” Postecoglou said, pointing to Ronaldo's limited preparation for the season following his involvement with Portugal.
The Al-Nassr manager also argued that criticism should not overlook the effort and professionalism Ronaldo has shown throughout his career. He said the players were giving everything and insisted that responsibility for the defeat rested with him.
When the reporter maintained that Ronaldo had “done nothing” in recent matches, Postecoglou responded: “Well, you're watching a different game to me.”
The defeat was Al-Nassr's heaviest of the season and came after a difficult run of fixtures. Postecoglou noted that his team had played nine matches in a month, including four within a 10-day period, and suggested that the demanding schedule had taken a toll on the players.
Despite the setback, Postecoglou said he would take responsibility for the result rather than placing the blame on individual players. Al-Nassr will now have an international-break period before returning to competitive action.
The result leaves Postecoglou with plenty to address, but his immediate message was clear: criticism of the team's performance should not be used to single out Ronaldo, with the manager insisting that the veteran forward remains an important part of his plans.