Ange Postecoglou takes responsibility to shield Cristiano Ronaldo after Al Nassr’s heavy defeat

Ange Postecoglou has taken full responsibility for Al Nassr’s 4-0 defeat by Al Ain, attempting to protect captain Cristiano Ronaldo from mounting criticism among the club’s supporters.

Ronaldo came under fire after Al Nassr suffered a damaging loss, but Postecoglou used his post-match news conference to insist the result could not be attributed to the Portugal forward alone.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, and the responsibility is mine,” said the Australian manager.

Postecoglou stressed that the problems were collective rather than the fault of one individual, regardless of that player’s status within the team.

“You cannot blame Ronaldo for certain technical matters because he is one of the players in the team,” he said. “Al Nassr as a whole were poor.”

The manager’s comments came as supporters’ anger intensified following the emphatic defeat. Some fans have also called for Postecoglou to leave, increasing the pressure on him after the latest setback.

Postecoglou continued to defend his squad while acknowledging that criticism was inevitable after such a result.

“When the result is bad, the media are right,” he said, while confirming that he is facing strong criticism after the defeat.

He rejected the suggestion that his players should carry the blame for the loss.

“The players gave everything they had, and I do not place any responsibility on them,” Postecoglou said.

The Al Nassr manager also pointed to the demands of the recent schedule as another factor affecting the team.

“Our match schedule has made things difficult for us,” he added, referring to the pressure created by a congested run of fixtures.

Postecoglou’s decision to put himself at the centre of the criticism was intended to ease the pressure on both Ronaldo and the rest of the squad. With supporters demanding changes after the defeat by Al Ain, he made clear that responsibility for improving Al Nassr’s form rests with him and his coaching staff.