Cristiano Ronaldo ended a rather impressive 17-year run when he came off the bench in the 1-0 victory over Leicester City on Thursday night.
It was the third Manchester United match in a row in which the forward has not made the starting XI, the first time since 2005 that Ronaldo has made three consecutive substitute appearances.
Ronaldo was a sub for Man United against Leicester, the first time since 2005 that he's come off the bench three times in a row
The sight of Ronaldo sitting on the bench could be a more familiar sight this season
For the 37-year-old, it might be something that he needs to get used to.
The summer transfer window saw the Portuguese star heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford, however his involvement against the Foxes confirmed that he would be sticking around in Manchester.
With manager Erik ten Hag keen to build his team for the future, one start out of five for Ronaldo certainly suggests that his status as the first name on the team sheet is no more.
But the Dutchman insisted there could still be a place in the starting XI for Ronaldo in the near future.
Asked about Ronaldo, Ten Hag said: "As we said that, it's really early in the season and we have a squad.
"We have more than 11 starting players, that is what you see now, players now on the bench can play in one, two or three weeks."
Ronaldo is a Manchester United legend and will earn huge respect if he can put his ego aside for the benefit of the team
Ten Hag added: "We have to construct the right winning culture and that is also a process and you cannot take one point like Brentford, it's a strategy, it's a routine, it's a way of life, daily based.
"And what we have to bring to Carrington, the players but also the coaches, the manager, everyone in the club, is high standards."
No comments:
Post a Comment