Former footballer Marco Van Basten has advised new Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag to keep Cristiano Ronaldo a leading figure at the club.
The still Ajax coach has already been announced as the next helmsman at Old Trafford, with long lists of departures in the press that include Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata and Lee Grant, at the end of their contract. Nemanja Matic has already announced his departure.
As United seem on the way to not securing a place in next season’s Champions League – they are in 6th, six points from 4th place – Ronaldo’s future in the team began to be called into question, and rumors of that the captain of the National Team would not be part of the Dutchman’s plans.
But Van Basten believes in a happy partnership. “If Ronaldo continues to play like he did, for example, against Norwich [hat-trick] scoring regularly, there is no need to remove him from the team. He is an individualist player, but as long as he continues to show results, it has to take place. Tem Hag will know that he won’t be able to ask him the same as an 18-year-old. Of course Ronaldo will have to work hard, but I see Ten Hag having enough influence over him to make him play as he wants. I have one piece of advice for Erik: don’t look at what the press says when you start. He will have to have a huge focus on his work, on training, on the team. If you do that, you can change everything at United.” The Rondo Show.
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