New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been pushed by Jamie Carragher to get Cristiano Ronaldo out of Old Trafford.
Following a terrible season in which they finished sixth, Ten Hag is likely to make significant changes at Old Trafford this summer.
Ronaldo scored 24 goals in all competitions, but Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, believes Ronaldo was a “bad signing” who should be let go as soon as possible at Old Trafford.
He told Gary Neville on YouTube channel the Overlap: ‘(Jurgen) Klopp comes into Liverpool straight away, they’d bought players under Brendan Rogers that summer.
‘I think (Christian) Benteke cost them about £35/40million it was a few quid, he was a big signing, centre forward, and he was like ‘You’re not for me, out!’ And making that big bold decision straight away, it makes everyone sit up and think ‘Oh this fella takes this job seriously!’
‘I’m convinced he’s (Erik Ten Hag) got to do that with Ronaldo, whether he’s allowed to or not, and I’ve said this consistently throughout this season, that was not a good signing.
‘Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time, and I’m seen as criticising him – Ronaldo is a million times better than I could ever be, I couldn’t lace his boots, obviously, but I’m not saying that to be disrespectful to him, he’s amazing.
‘But Ronaldo has never played in a team this bad, he’s played in some of the best teams and has the attitude of wanting to be the main man, trying to get the goals, driving people on, and when you’re in a great team, that’s something I’m seeing as a positive.
‘When you’re not playing in a great team it can be something that is seen as a negative, and I think it has been a negative this season.
‘Manchester United can’t go into next season with a centre forward who is going to be 38, even if he does score goals that’s not right for Man United.
‘United need to buy a striker, but who do you buy? Do you buy one who’s going to play, or one who’s going to sit on the bench? What do you do? If you buy a really good one then he has to play, and Ronaldo has to go on the bench.
‘Ronaldo would be a massive problem for Manchester United next season if he wasn’t playing every week, we’ve seen it this season, even when he’s coming off and there were times where the manager was right to take him off or put him on the bench, but he’s kicked up a fuss.
‘This is the most powerful he will ever be, the manager’s the most powerful the first day in the job, because he’s there and he should be able to make big decisions on the basis of that and I’d make that big decision as the other top managers have done that make everyone sit up and take notice.’
Ten Hag, on the other hand, recently stated that he is looking forward to working with Ronaldo, calling him a “true winner and magnificent player”
Marcus Rashford, an England international, struggled for goals this season, unlike Ronaldo.
In 32 outings across all competitions, the 24-year-old scored just five goals.
Erik Ten Hag would see Rashford as a ‘project’ with whom he can collaborate and help progress, according to Overlap host Gary Neville.
He also claimed that Rashford’s poor form is due to a ‘disease in the United dressing room,’ which has harmed players’ confidence and performance.
Rashford, on the other hand, was dismissed by Carragher, who stated that he is “not good enough” for the Red Devils.
‘Marcus Rashford is just not good enough for Man United, that’s all it is,’ he stated.
‘He’s just not quite good enough for Manchester United. He won’t win you the Champions League, the other two up front with him would have to be mega stars.’
The Overlap is a YouTube channel from Gary Neville in partnership with Sky Bet.
