Ronaldo should have started against Everton, says Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager's own mentor, has criticized Ole Gunnar Solskjr's choice to play Cristiano Ronaldo as a substitute in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Everton.
Until the 57th minute, Ronaldo sat on the bench. When he came in, United were ahead 1-0, but Everton equalized through Andros Townsend as United's recent mediocre form continued.
In a video that has gone viral on Twitter, Ferguson, who was instrumental in luring Ronaldo back to United, is overheard questioning Solskjr's team selection.
Ferguson appears to suggest Ronaldo should have started the Premier League match while speaking with former mixed martial arts champion and United fan Khabib Nurmagomedov in the directors' lounge at Old Trafford after the contest.
“I also think that when they saw Ronaldo wasn’t playing …” says Ferguson. He is then interrupted by the Russian, who says: “He came on in the second half.” Ferguson follows that up by saying: “I know but you should always start with your best players.”
United have only won one of their last four games, with Ronaldo scoring a late winner against Villarreal in the Champions League last week. Solskjr's credentials as a successor to Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles and the Champions League thrice during his time at the club, has been questioned.
Solskjr, who played for Ferguson from 1996 to 2007 and has been United's manager since December 2018, has made a point of highlighting his relationship with the 79-year-old, who is now a director and ambassador for the club. He has yet to win a trophy, with United falling on penalties to Villarreal in the Europa League final last season.
Mike Phelan, Ferguson's late-career assistant, has been given a new contract that runs through June 2024, matching the length of Solskjr's contract, which he signed in July.
Phelan returned to the club to work alongside Solskjr after the Norwegian took over as interim manager after José Mourinho was fired, with the post becoming permanent later in the 2018-19 season.
Despite recent performances, giving Phelan that contract indicates the Glazer family's contentment with the current managerial arrangement.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has five goals in six matches since returning to Real Madrid, where he previously played from 2003 to 2009.
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