Cristiano Ronaldo asked Ralf Rangnick to strip Manchester United star Harry Maguire of captaincy
Former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick was told by Cristiano Ronaldo to take the armband off of Harry Maguire, according to The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t Express].
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was amongst a number of high-profile players who met the German head coach back in February. And it was suggested that the club captain be demoted to the bench.
United failed to perform well last season. The Red Devils were shaky at the back. And Ronaldo believed Maguire was part of the problem for the side’s poor performances.
However, Rangnick shut down the talks. The German felt it was inappropriate of the players to bring up their concerns without the United captain in their midst.
The Manchester-based club had a hard time last season and Maguire was at the centre of it. The England international made a lot of glaring errors. And fans have pointed their fingers at the captain for not being good enough.
United were poor at the back in the previous campaign. We conceded 57 goals in the Premier League campaign. The side ended with the lowest point tally in the PL era.
The Red Devils finished last season with a goal difference of zero. We had the eighth worst defensive record in England’s first tier. And most supporters felt Maguire failed to lead by example.
While our club captain struggled, Ronaldo was one of the few players who lived up to expectations. The Portuguese was United’s leading goalscorer in the 2021/22 campaign.
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Ronaldo and Maguire have both been on the bench for Erik ten Hag in the previous two fixtures. It remains to be seen whether the two can break into the XI once again in the coming weeks. It remains to be seen whether the new gaffer sticks with the England international as his captain.
