Manchester United icon Gary Pallister claims Cristiano Ronaldo must get used to being benched at the club
Speaking to BoyleSports EPL Betting (h/t The Sun), Manchester United icon Gary Pallister has claimed that forward Cristiano Ronaldo must get used to being benched by the club.
Ronaldo was in fine form last weekend, scoring a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday to hand his side all three points at home, recovering from a terrible Manchester derby result the previous game.
Pallister, who won 4 Premier League titles with United, said that Ronaldo was not expected to play every game and that even club legends like Ryan Giggs would understand the situation at that age.
“At 37 going on 38, I think you would expect not to play every game. Ryan Giggs, who was one of the biggest legends Man United ever had, understood that.”
Ronaldo was taken off after completing his hat-trick against Spurs, being replaced in the last ten minutes of the game by Victor Lindelof as interim manager Ralf Rangnick looked to shore up his defence.
“Respect the manager’s decision”
The Manchester derby caused a lot of trouble earlier in the month for Rangnick, after the German dropped his No. 7 for the game. The Portugal skipper was said to be dismayed after being left out of the match, flying out to his native homeland after complaining of an injury.
Pallister said that such incidents need to be avoided in the future, with Ronaldo needing to learn how to respect the manager’s decision. The former defender said that if Sir Alex had made the decision to bench the ex-Juventus man, he would have responded better.
“It doesn’t mean you have to agree with it but you have to respect the manager’s decision. If Sir Alex had done it, Cristiano Ronaldo might be more at ease with it.”
Despite being 37, the player has always been at the peak of his physical powers. The star is known to take incredible care of his body to prolong his career, and the fact that he can still perform in such an intense and fast-paced league in England speaks to his passion for fitness.
Arguably one of the greatest athletes to play the game, he also expects to be there for the team and take the headlines for his goals and achievements on the pitch. The player hates being taken off or omitted from squads, with Ronaldo also reacting badly to being substituted against Brentford earlier in the season.
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However, Pallister has a valid point to make about the former Real Madrid star’s attitude to being substituted. Football is a team sport, and one needs to learn how to sacrifice his place in the side to achieve success.
Despite being substituted against Tottenham, Ronaldo did not seem to have a terrible reaction to Rangnick’s decision. Hopefully, that continues in the future in other games when the situation arises. United take on Atletico Madrid in a do-or-die Champions League clash, and it remains to be seen if Ronaldo is picked in the first XI for that game.
