Curry Barker’s Obsession, the horror film that has grossed nearly $300 million from a $750,000 budget, is about a man who gets exactly what he wished for, then watches it destroy him. Roberto Martinez should book a ticket.
On Wednesday night, Martinez’s insistence on keeping Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting XI, through two missed chances, 25 touches and zero shots on target, bordered less on tactical stubbornness and more on the kind of devotion that clouds judgment entirely. You cannot blame Ronaldo for wanting to start every match at 41. That competitive hunger is, in its own way, admirable. But the manager’s job is to see the player clearly. Martinez does not seem capable of doing that with Ronaldo.
“I’ve worked with many geniuses, but I’ve never seen anyone like Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said last year. “His hunger to win is unbelievable. Every morning is a new opportunity for him to improve, to be better, to win. He’s unique. I can’t explain it.” That last sentence may be the most honest thing Martinez has said about the situation. He cannot explain it because it is not rational. It is awe. And awe is not a basis for team selection.
The numbers from Wednesday tell the story Martinez refused to read. According to Squawka, Ronaldo had only 25 touches, just five in the opposition box, and not a single shot on target. Portugal, as a team, managed just one. That is an abysmal return for a side hoping to win a World Cup, and it starts with the man leading the line. In the 68th minute, when Francisco Conceicao cut the ball back, Bruno Fernandes was better placed to score. Ronaldo’s instincts took over and a clear chance was gone. The second chance, in the 74th minute, came to a Ronaldo who was once automatic in those positions and is no longer. With Congo looking perfectly capable of hurting Portugal on the break, Martinez’s response was to bring on Goncalo Ramos, a striker, for Vitinha, a midfielder, while Ronaldo stayed on the pitch.