Erik ten Hag has been urged not to start Cristiano Ronaldo in Manchester United’s Premier League opener this afternoon.
United get their 2022/23 campaign under way at Old Trafford as they face Brighton. Ahead of the game, all eyes are on Ronaldo as speculation continues over his future.
The Portugal international made just one appearance during pre-season, playing 45 minutes in the final friendly against Rayo Vallecano after missing the tour to Thailand and Australia. Ronaldo subsequently hit the headlines again after leaving the game early, adding fuel to the fire that he wants to leave United.
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Nevertheless, with a lack of options up front, Ronaldo could find himself starting against Brighton this afternoon. But former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes United should offload the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and has called for Ten Hag to stand his ground.
“Erik ten Hag has gone into Manchester United, a huge club, and is trying to implement his own philosophy,” Murphy told the Daily Mail. “Yet he’s doing so with a great deal of noise around him — and a lot of that noise is being created by Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I think this is a wonderful chance for Ten Hag to make his mark. Go to the United hierarchy and say: ‘Let him go, I don’t need the problems.’
“That would send a huge message and set a strong precedent, especially after Ronaldo’s show of petulance last week when he left Old Trafford before the end of the game.
“That was Ronaldo flexing his muscles. It will be fascinating to see what Ten Hag does with his team selection on Sunday. Will he start Ronaldo or will he make a stand?
“If he starts him, then he might as well say that Ronaldo can do what he wants, when he wants. That has consequences. It belittles the manager and undermines his leadership and control.
“Ronaldo leaving the game early is something that Ten Hag could — and should — have dealt with before it happened. He should have had a conversation with Ronaldo before the game to discuss how long he planned to play him and to make sure he was on board. Now it’s happened, though, what are the consequences? If I was Ten Hag, I would expect an apology.”
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