"Maybe all the players who don't score should go on the bench" - William Gallas makes an interesting comment about Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's role under Ten Hag
Former Chelsea star William Gallas has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo deserves his place in the Manchester United starting XI, arguing that a goalless game doesn’t justify benching him.
Cristiano Ronaldo started in Sunday’s (October 16) Premier League clash against Newcastle United at Old Trafford. The Portuguese, who scored his 700th club goal in a 2-1 victory over Everton on October 9, cut a frustrating figure against the Magpies, failing to make any tangible impact. The game ended goalless in Manchester, allowing fourth-placed Chelsea to go three points clear of fifth-placed United.
"We lost against Ronaldo, not against Man United" 👀
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte says Cristiano Ronaldo "solved the situation alone" against his side last season after a hat-trick at Old Trafford ⚪🔙
https://t.co/TxVLR35mzs
In an interview with Genting Casino, Gallas was asked whether or not Ronaldo should be in the lineup after firing a blank on Sunday. The former Chelsea and Arsenal defender insisted that Ronaldo was in the Manchester United lineup for a reason, and it was premature to bench him after one bad game. He said:
“The only person who can tell you if Ronaldo should be starting or not is Erik ten Hag. From the outside, we don’t know what’s going on in training but we know he’s a highly professional player, and if he plays at the moment that means he deserves it."
Gallas added:
“Just because he didn’t score in the last match doesn’t mean he has to be on the bench. They drew the last game but don’t forget there were other players not scoring as well. So maybe all the players who don’t score should go on the bench!”
Cristiano Ronaldo has featured in 12 games for Manchester United this season across competitions, scoring twice.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister hits out at Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag
Portugal international Ronaldo was taken off with 20 minutes to go in Sunday’s goalless draw with Newcastle. He appeared frustrated at the decision as he reluctantly walked off the field.
Ronaldo’s sister Elma has criticized Ten Hag’s decision to take her brother off, and thinks that the Portuguese superstar’s departure could not come soon enough. She shared a screenshot of an article that indicated a possible January exit for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Elma Aveiro, irmã de Cristiano Ronaldo, apoia eventual saída de Ten Hag do Man United:
"Já vai tarde" https://t.co/lwJPEcal2H
As per The Sun, Elma's caption meant:
“It's too late.” (possibly indicating the time left for the transfer window to open)
She also added two “disgust” emojis alongside her post.
Ronaldo pushed to leave Manchester United in the summer after they failed to secure a top-four finish last season. However, a lack of suitors compelled him to stay put in Manchester.