TEN HAG IS RIGHT ON RON
Ferdinand backs United chief
RIO FERDINAND has backed Erik ten Hag’s decision to axe Cristiano Ronaldo from his Manchester United side.
But Ferdinand believes his former team-mate will do whatever it takes to win back his place.
Ronaldo has been benched for United’s last four Premier League games, which the former Red Devils and England defender admits will leave the five-time Ballon d’Or winner furious.
And despite believing Ten Hag has made the right call, Ferdinand is convinced Ronaldo will re-establish himself as an automatic starter alongside new signing Casemiro.
Ferdinand (right) said: “He’ll be p ***** , he won’t be happy.
“You don’t get to do what he’s done over that period of time and be happy and content to be on the bench, or not to be getting the numbers you want to be getting.
“But he’ll be professional, he’ll be focused, because he’ll know his time’s going to
by JEREMY CROSS
come. He hasn’t had a pre-season, so I understand why he’s not playing, and Marcus Rashford is scoring and assisting goals at the moment.
“The team is the overriding factor at the moment. The way United started the season, they’re making sure the team is doing the right things.
“Casemiro is a big signing, but isn’t playing. Ronaldo isn’t playing, but their time will come.
“And, when their time comes, I think they’ll both stay in the team.” Ferdinand knows that Ronaldo’s best is in the past but reckons he has plenty to offer.
“The Ronaldo that people have seen the last four, five or six years is not the Ronaldo who came to United,” Ferdinand told William Hill.
“He was a showman. People would come to the stadium going, ‘I have come to see Ronaldo get me off my seat today.’ That’s what it was like.
“Now, at the back end of his career, it’s like, ‘I’m coming to see a moment in the game, where he decides the game.’”