It was a Sunday to forget for Manchester United as their nine-game unbeaten run came to a disappointing end as they succumbed to a 3-1 loss at the hands of Aston Villa.
The defeat clearly exposed the lack of attacking options at Erik ten Hag’s disposal, while the manager was also guilty of making some dubious selection calls.
Ten Hag has had to deal with the profligacy of his strikers for a while now. Marcus Rashford, who is the current top scorer with seven in all competitions, has been inconsistent at best, missing easy chances.
Ronaldo’s struggles
Anthony Martial’s injury problems have meant he has barely played. However, the biggest disappointment so far this season has been Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance.
He was the top scorer last season, but this year he looks like a shadow of his former self. The Portuguese only managed to score three times in 16 games, not the kind of return that anyone would have expected.
???? Tim: “Why does Ten Hag have to justify giving Ronaldo the captain’s armband?”
???? Ally: “Ronaldo is a leader! Man Utd was poor, but not because he was captain”.
???? Tim: “Just keep your mouth shut!”
Tim Sherwood doesn’t see why Ten Hag should justify Ronaldo being captain of #MUFC. pic.twitter.com/9UErZKQzcs
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) November 7, 2022
His behavior off the pitch hasn’t helped the Portuguese international refuse to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur while not attending pre-season for personal reasons.
Ten Hag has done his best to deal with disciplinary issues and was praised for having the courage to quit when his antics crossed the line.
In a bid to help regain his confidence, the Dutch coach gave Ronaldo the captain’s armband for the Villa match, but in the end it didn’t work out.
Ronaldo seemed lost most of the time and his lack of pressure hampered the team’s style along with the tendency of teammates to try to find him at every opportunity that came their way.
ETH should “shut up”, says Sherwood
And when the manager was asked why he chose to give Ronaldo the armband despite the presence of David de Gea, Casemiro, the manager said: “On the bench is Harry Maguire, our club captain.
“Then it is about David de Gea who is the leader but he is a goalkeeper and he is far from the gardens. So Casemiro is the leader, but he doesn’t speak perfect English, so Cristiano is the leader.”
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood took offense at Ten Hag’s statement, alluding to the Dutchman’s comments meaning Ronaldo was essentially fourth or fifth choice in the pecking order.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Sherwood said: “Basically what you’re saying is it was the fifth choice, right?
“Why does he have to justify why he has given the bracelet to Cristiano Ronaldo, I just don’t know. Keep your mouth shut.
Ten Hag just can’t catch a break with Ronaldo and the fans and the club will be better served if the Portuguese leaves in January and the club spends to bring in a quality replacement.
