Sir Alex Ferguson questions Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decision after Man United draw
Sir Alex Ferguson suggests that Cristiano Ronaldo should have started Man United's clash with Everton
Sir Alex Ferguson has appeared to question Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s decision to start Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench for Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday.
The Red Devils boss raised some eyebrows with his team selection on Saturday as he opted to start with Paul Pogba, Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho on the bench for the visit of the Toffees at Old Trafford.
Anthony Martial fired the home side into the lead at the end of the first half, but Manchester United were pegged back after the break when Andros Townsend netted an equaliser for Rafael Benitez’s men.
Solskjaer brought on Pogba, Ronaldo and Sancho in the second half but the Red Devils ended up having to settle for a point to leave them two points off top spot in the Premier League table.
Former Manchester United boss Ferguson was in the stands for the game and he was filmed speaking to UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov after the Premier League match.
In a video posted on Nurmagomedov’s Instagram account, Ferguson said: “But I also think that when they [Everton] saw that Ronaldo wasn’t playing…”
Nurmagomedov replied: “He came on in the second half…”, but Ferguson quickly replied: “I know, but you should always start with your best players.”
Ronaldo was visibly frustrated after the final whistle, with the Portugal attacker pictured walking straight down the tunnel at Old Trafford as soon as the game finished.
The 36-year-old has been in excellent form since his return to the club in August from Juventus, scoring five goals in six games in all competitions for the Red Devils.
Despite having watched his team drop points in their last two Premier League outings, Solskjaer insisted that it won’t be long before he gets the best out of his squad.
“I am very confident we will get the best out of this squad,” Solskjaer told a news conference on Saturday.
“A lot has happened this month and we have had Rafael (Varane), Cristiano (Ronaldo) and Jadon (Sancho) with us from August, well Cristiano only from September, so we have loads to work on and we need to improve.
“We know that, I know that, but I do believe in this group of players and the coaching staff that I have got. So, yes, is the short answer.”
