Ronaldo has started the last two Manchester United Europa League games, but he is not his manager’s first-choice attacker.
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Former teammate Patrice Evra has told Erik ten Hag that Cristiano Ronaldo needs to clear the air with him because the 37-year-old is clearly not a first-choice starter right now.
Due to the injuries to Antony Martial and Marcus Rashford, the superstar has started United’s last two Europa League matches, scoring his first goal of the season in last Thursday’s 2-0 win over Sheriff Tiraspol. However, Ronaldo has only started one Premier League game this season, a 4-0 loss to Brentford.
Harry Maguire, the captain of Manchester United, has also been benched for every league match since that humiliating defeat. Both players have been called up to their respective national squads for this week’s Nations League games, but their futures at Old Trafford remain uncertain.
Evra also cited Ten Hag’s decision to swap Luke Shaw for Tyrell Malacia as a move to be commended. “He dropped the captain, he benched Cristiano Ronaldo, he gave the left-back Malacia a chance, and that was a massive statement,” he told Betfair.
“Things changed with a few players, not because they were playing poorly, but because there was a lot of negativity around those players, and sometimes you have to get rid of this negativity.” He had the guts to do it.
Before training, Erik Ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo crack jokes.
Erik Ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo crack jokes before training, among other things, during Manchester United’s first team practice session.
“Ten Hag’s big decisions sent massive shockwaves. He is correct, but you have a manager and must respect his decision.”
Concerning the decision to drop Ronaldo from United’s starting lineup, Evra believes that both the player and Ten Hag should have open discussions. “I understand Cristiano Ronaldo’s frustration,” he continued, “but Ten Hag was like, ‘I’m going to start a new era, Ronaldo is still in my plan,’ and I’m sure Cristiano Ronaldo is in his plan.” If they haven’t already, Ten Hag and Ronaldo should have an open discussion. Everything going on right now is logical.“
Evra also expressed his sympathy for Maguire’s omission, while praising the classy performances of preferred duo Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. “Captaincy is always a big issue, especially when you play for Manchester United,” he said. Dropping the captain is a huge statement. This matters more than Cristiano Ronaldo or whoever. “People have been unfair to him because even now when he plays a good game, people will criticize him, even when he’s not playing, if we lose, people will blame him, and this is unfair.”
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