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Fans are with Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s inclusion among the nominees for the 2022 PFA 'Player of the Year' award. They took to Twitter to express their frustration, claiming that he didn't deserve the nomination.
The Portuguese was nominated for the award alongside Virgil Van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Harry Kane, Mohammed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne.
He did not have the best of seasons though, joining United from Juventus at the start of the season. He scored 18 goals in 30 league appearances. He was second only to Mohammed Salah and Son Heung-Min, who both won the Golden Boot, scoring 23 goals. Notably, Son still couldn't make it onto the list of nominees.
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Fans are unhappy with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's inclusion and here are some of their reactions on Twitter:
Does Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo deserve the PFA Player of the Year nomination?
As far as individual numbers are concerned, Ronaldo had a brilliant season despite his team’s struggles. Now 37, the Portuguese’s fitness levels and freak ability to score goals is still extraordinary.
He produced multiple memorable performances in the 2021-22 season, including two Premier League hat-tricks. He can arguably keep his head held high despite Manchester United’s struggles.
United finished sixth in the league, finishing with their lowest ever points tally (58) and their fifth consecutive trophyless year.
However, fans are bound to argue that multiple other players deserve to be nominated ahead of the football legend. These include Son, Antonio Rudiger and even Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva who was also in mesmerizing form, especially in the early parts of 2022.
Son in particular was the Golden Boot winner alongside Salah, becoming the first Asian player to win the prize. He also scored 23 goals without a single penalty. He was arguably the primary reason why Tottenham Hotspur were able to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Ronaldo produced some extraordinary performances at 37 and won his side multiple games single-handedly. Moreover, the argument in his favor would be his ability to perform at the highest level in a dysfunctional Manchester United side.
However, his inclusion over the likes of Son is surprising to say the least.
