Man Utd icon Fergie has already shown Ten Hag how to solve conundrum

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could follow club legend Sir Alex Ferguson’s lead and leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench against Everton this coming weekend. The Portuguese got caught up in a fan altercation last time he went to Goodison Park and that’s not the only reason Anthony Martial would appear to be the natural choice up front. 

The start of Martial’s campaign has been marred by injury. United supporters had high hopes for him this term after a positive pre-season and he repaid their faith with a quickfire double against Manchester City on Sunday. 

His goals weren’t enough to prevent an embarrassing 6-3 defeat but it did help his case to start against Everton this weekend. Ronaldo’s recent history against the Toffees also boosts the Frenchman’s chances, having been charged by the FA for smashing a supporter’s phone last time the sides met. 

Back in 2010, Ferguson took the gutsy decision to drop Wayne Rooney from the starting line-up at Goodison Park amid headlines on his personal life. Ten Hag could follow his lead and keep Ronaldo on the bench against Everton, where he would surely face backlash from those in the stands. 

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The Dutchman’s upcoming selection decisions may therefore be laid out for him, with a Europa League clash against Omonia Nicosia pencilled in for Thursday evening. In a solution that keeps two of United’s key stars happy, Ronaldo is likely to get a run-out against the Cypriot outfit with Martial coming in for the subsequent showdown against the Toffees. 

Ten Hag is in a tricky situation whereby Ronaldo – considered one of the greatest players of all time – is falling behind in his quest to nail down a starting spot at Old Trafford. The 37-year-old was left an unused substitute in the Manchester derby with Marcus Rashford and Martial both getting minutes. 

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Despite Martial’s two-goal showing last time out, Liverpool legend Graeme Souness believes that further calls to bench Ronaldo would be a mark of ‘disrespect’. “Ronaldo has an argument for saying, ‘I’ve been the best player ever’ – he can sit with any group of players in the history of the game if they were still alive and argue that,” he told talkSPORT.

“It’s disrespectful not to use him. I don’t buy that [Ten Hag’s explanation], I think you’re showing more disrespect by not using him.”